Too Much To Ask
by tehplc
Summary: Rory and Jess are forced to keep their relationship a secret from everyone they love... but will the pressure prove to be too much? Sequel to 'Special Occasions'. RJ
1. All That You Can See

a/n - i am sooo sorry it took me so long to get this story up. it's the sequel to my first story "special occasions", the r/j version that i promised like 6 months ago. i've had it written for a while, but i wanted to finish posting the other one before i started with this one but then my computer crashed and between school and work and.... well, let's just say that i'm a happy girl now that it's all fixed. so i PROMISE that this will be posted on a regular basis. AND, i will be finishing ...And Some Things Do, but a lot of that has to be rewritten thanks to the computer drama.  
  
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Too Much To Ask (A Sequel to 'Special Occasions')  
  
01 - All That You Can See  
  
"Mmm..." Jess watched Rory's face broke into a small smile as she and Jess broke apart. Tightening his hold around her waist and leaning back against her headboard, he smiled back at the dreamy expression on his girlfriend's face.  
  
"That good, huh?"  
  
"Better." She closed her eyes, obviously relishing the memory of his lips on hers. Ready to relive the moment, Jess brought his face down onto hers. Just as their lips touched, he heard the familiar clamor of the Gilmore jeep pulling into the driveway.  
  
"Looks like it's about that time." He jumped off the bed, suddenly feeling cold. All Jess wanted to do was climb back into that bed and continue the make-out session that had been going on since 3:00 that afternoon when he had surprised Rory by picking her up at Chilton. But he couldn't. Lorelai was home and that meant one thing.  
  
"Am I seeing you tonight?"  
  
"Yeah." The guilty expression on Rory's face almost made him wince, but he really did at her next outburst. "I just hate this!"  
  
"You and me both..." Jess knelt down by her bed, taking her hands in his. "But your mom has made it pretty clear she doesn't want me around." Jess' face hardened as he tried to block out Lorelai's disapproving face, glaring at him when she'd first found out that Jess and Rory were dating.  
  
"I know." The confirmation came out in a whisper as Rory looked down, avoiding Jess' pleading eyes. He wanted her to be happy, but Jess could tell that all their sneaking around was really starting to take a toll on her.  
  
Sighing inwardly, Jess gave her hands another soft squeeze, bringing her eyes back to focus on him. "If you don't want to do this anymore..." The well-intended statement broke off as Jess felt the unfamiliar sting of tears forming in his eyes.  
  
"No! Don't even say that!" Rory's enraged voice broke through, their eyes meeting again. "I am happier with you than I have ever been, and it's not my fault that my mom refuses to accept that. She is the one bringing this on herself." Jess smiled at her passionate expression.  
  
"That, Miss Chilton Prep, sounded almost rebellious."  
  
Rory's face returned the smile as he spoke, the atmosphere in the room immediately lightening. "What can I say? You're finally starting to rub off on me. Pretty soon I'll be terrorizing Taylor and supergluing all the light switches in Star's Hollow High School off." She smirked, informing him that she'd heard about his latest prank at the high school.  
  
"Dear God, what will Stars Hollow think, their little princess taking a vacation on the dark side?"  
  
"Who knows? Maybe I'll even lease a cave down by the lava flow. It might be nice to have a place to spend the summers. If fact-" Jess cut her off with a quick kiss; he knew that he had to get out of here because it would be only seconds before Lorelai was in the house and catching the two of them.  
  
"You're welcome to stay at my place anytime, Gilmore." With that he stood up and was climbing out the window. Easing his body out, he poked his head back into the room, a smirk on his face. "We'll discuss how you plan on paying rent later."  
  
Laughing, Rory touched her lips to his one last time. "I'm sure you'll figure something out." After one more kiss, he pulled back and looked into her dancing eyes, the yearning to stay becoming greater with every second.  
  
"So I'll see you later." He was walking away before she had a chance to answer him. This was his least favorite part of spending time with her, he hated listening to her say goodbye. Besides, the day wasn't over yet. Odds are, she and her mom would come by the diner for dinner, so he'd get to see her then. And they'd agreed to meet in their "spot" that night as well, so he still had reason to smile.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
a/n - okay, short and sweet, let me know if i should post the rest. :) 


	2. Trying To Catch A Falling Star

a/n - okay, i didn't get a whole lot of reviews for the last chapter. do you guys like the sequel? do you want me to continue posting it? or should i do something else with it? let me know what you think.  
  
and btw, the disclaimer is the same as always: i don't own anything or any of the characters; though i wish i did... especially jess..... :)  
  
and with that in mind.... chapter 2....  
  
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02 - Trying To Catch A Falling Star  
  
"Bye Jess." Rory smiled slightly at the bittersweet feeling she always got watching the back of his head move away. All too quickly, though, she couldn't see him anymore and forced herself to turn back towards her room. Maybe she'd work on that article for the Franklin....  
  
"Mom!" Turning around, Rory saw the figure leaning in her doorway, arms folded across her chest. "You have got to stop doing that. You're going to give your one and only daughter a coronary. You'll be left all alone with no one to convince Luke to give you coffee, and then where will you be?" Rory smiled widely, but not too widely. She didn't know for sure that her mom had seen Jess, and if she hadn't Rory sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to tell her.  
  
Lorelai narrowed her eyes slightly, sizing up Rory's reaction to her presence in the room. Then, obviously satisfied with what she saw, she entered the room and flopped down onto the bed. Rory winced slightly, remembering who had just been laying there with her, and hoping her mom wouldn't be able to tell. But the elder woman was oblivious to her daughters reaction as she rambled on. "...So I told Michel.. 'No, that's impossible. Chocolate cake must have chocolate in it. It's a rule.' But then he started going on about how he'd heard about a perfectly good chocolate substitute with half the calories and ..blah blah blah. So I stole his name tag." Lorelai extracted a small item from her pocket and proudly pinned it to her lapel. "Now zat iz zee proper way to vare a nametag." she said in her best Michel voice.  
  
"You're such a child." Rory couldn't help but grin at her mother's antics. Sometimes she reminded her so much of Jess.... Jess. God! Why couldn't the two of them just get along?  
  
"Humph! I should be offended by that." Lorelai placed her hands on her hips in mock anger.  
  
"Should. But aren't because you know it's true."  
  
"You do know that you're buying me dinner tonight as a bribe, right?"  
  
"Fine. But I have some homework I want to finish up right now, so give me a few minutes, would ya?" Rory didn't wait for a response, but turned her back to her mother and began writing in her closest open notebook.  
  
"Fine. 7 o'clock then?"  
  
She heard the hurt tone in her mom's voice as she left her alone, but Rory wasn't in the mood to play games with her right now. Honestly, she hadn't been in one for a good month and a half. Not since that night. Groaning, Rory hit her head against the desktop.  
  
That night... She and Jess had been going out on their first official date that weekend after she'd broken up with Dean. Rory had been so excited, despite Lorelai's objections. Her mother had been against the idea from the start, but hadn't really had a reason to stop them. So, with that wonderful blessing, the two teens had set out for Hartford to catch a dinner and a movie, or so Rory had thought.  
  
* * * * * Flashback  
  
"Jess, where are we going? This is not the way to Hartford." He ignored the question while staring straight ahead of him, smiling like he always did when he knew something she didn't.  
  
"Jess? You know my mother does not think highly of young men that kidnap her only daughter." That hadn't phased him either. He continued to smile widely, not taking his eyes off the road.  
  
"Neither do the police. You could go to jail. Or to prison."  
  
"Those are the same thing Rory." Aha! She'd gotten him talking.  
  
"Oh, you think?"  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Well, they're not. Jail is a place where they send you when you've screwed up, committed some petty crime. You might recognize that place." She gave him a slight smirk at that, which he returned, "but prison is much scarier. That's the place where the hard-core criminals live, and they tie chains to your feet. That's- "  
  
"Shackles."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The chains on your feet. Shackles." Jess gave her a quick smile and then faced the road again.  
  
"Right. Anyway, you're missing the point. Jail is a scary place that you will be going unless you tell me where we are headed."  
  
"Jail... according to what you said, isn't jail someplace I'm already acquainted with?"  
  
"Fine, prison, whatever. Enough! Stop evading the question. Where are you taking me?" Rory was practically bouncing in her seat with the excitement. "And if you continue to sit there and watch the road not answering me, I will ruin the entire night."  
  
"And exactly how do you plan on doing that?"  
  
"I have a multitude of sure-fire date wrecking strategies, none of which I am going to divulge to you. So tell me where we're going."  
  
"You're not going to leave me alone until I tell you, are you?"  
  
"Nope." She smiled victoriously.  
  
"Good." Jess winked at her and continued to drive.  
  
* * * * * Present  
  
"Where have you been?" Luke's curt greeting didn't surprise Jess.  
  
"Out."  
  
"Out. You've been 'out' an awful lot lately haven't you?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"You guess?"  
  
"That's what I said."  
  
"Fine." Luke went back to scrubbing the countertop, giving Jess the impression that he was trying to scrub a hole in it. Jess continued across the diner, heading for his room. "Where do you think you're going?"  
  
"Upstairs."  
  
"No. You've got work."  
  
"Sorry Uncle Luke, I'd love to really, but I've got homework." With that, Jess left Luke muttering to himself and scrubbing even harder. It normally would've brought a smile to his face, but Jess couldn't stop thinking about Rory. He was worried about her. Despite what she said, he knew that the stress of sneaking around was beginning to wear on her. She wasn't the type of person that could keep lying, especially where her mother was concerned.  
  
Who did Lorelai think she was? Sure, Jess knew he hadn't been the nicest person to her when he'd first gotten to town. But she judged him without even bothering to get to know him. She, like everyone else in this goddamn town decided that he was 'trouble' and never even bothered. Everyone except Rory. Rory... Jess smiled at the thought of her. She was perfect. Everything he'd ever wanted. And after so much waiting and stressing on his part, she finally wanted him too. It was amazing and wonderful, and he couldn't even be with her. Not in public at least. Not after that night.  
  
"Urgh!" Jess threw the book at the wall as he remembered it. Their first date. He had meant for it to be so special. Sure he'd told a few lies and broken a few rules to do it, but he wasn't hurting anyone. Besides, it was supposed to be a surprise.  
  
Jess smiled as he remembered how excited she'd been when he'd turned the car towards New York instead of Hartford, how he'd teased her the entire way there, refusing to give in and tell her where they were going. The way her eyes had shone when he finally stopped the car....  
  
* * * * * Flashback  
  
"Jess..." She breathed, taking in the sight. It was early afternoon, and they were standing on the streets of New York, Times Square glittering in the distance. "I cannot believe that you drove me all the way here."  
  
"Why do you think we left so early?"  
  
"You were just so excited about going out with me that the evening was just too late?"  
  
"Noon Rory? Come on."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. You're right... but this is more amazing than I expected. Why did you bring me here?"  
  
"I want to show you something. Somewhere."  
  
"Where?" Her only answer to that was a raised eyebrow and a tilt of the head. Then he started walking, leaving her running after him. "That is not the way you're supposed to treat a date."  
  
Stopping abruptly, Jess earned a number of dirty looks from the impatient pedestrians that had been following the two. Oblivious to it all, Jess turned to face Rory, a smile playing on his lips, "No?"  
  
"No." She placed her hands firmly on her hips, fighting the grin threatening to overtake her face. She loved it when he looked at her like that. So closely, like he knew exactly what she was thinking, but refused to act on it until she said so. Her knees began to quiver when he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.  
  
"So how exactly am I supposed to treat a date then?"  
  
"This is much better." Rory finally let the smile emerge, tilting her head up towards Jess.  
  
"Good then. Let's go." Switching his hold to her hand, Jess began moving again, dragging Rory along behind him. She smiled to herself as jogged to keep up. She had been expecting a kiss, but that's what made being with him so great. Jess was entirely unpredictable, and she loved that.  
  
"We're here."  
  
"Where are we?"  
  
"Don't you see it?" In response to his question, Rory looked around aimlessly. She saw nothing but a bunch of rundown tourist shops, clueless pedestrians wandering in and out. "Over there Rory." She followed his pointing finger towards one of the shops she'd easily dismissed. The faded sign over the door read 'Mariano's Magic Shop.'  
  
Shooting him a questioning glance, she breathed, "Is that..."  
  
Jess smiled at her tentative response. "It's not what you're thinking..." He started explaining, dragging her around the back of the store. "We used to live in an apartment just over there." He gestured nonchalantly down the rundown street. "And one day when I was on my way home from school, I saw a moving truck out front of this store, and I actually took the time to read the sign." He paused, obviously lost in the memory. "My dad was always unemployed and idle, so seeing something with his name on it... I don't know." They were now at the back entrance to the shop, and Jess expertly jimmied the lock, opening the door to a dusty, run down room. He made a wide gesture around the room.  
  
"I used to come here everyday after school. At first, I was young and I used to make up stories about this being my father's store, and how he would work in the front while I played back here... But after I found out that it belonged to some old couple with no relation to me, it just became my hide-out. I'd come here just to sit and read or think. I always felt comfortable here." The dreamy look on his face became anxious as she continued to be silent. "Whatever. I guess you think it's stupid... I shouldn't have dragged you here..." His eyes took on a very far-off expression as he started back towards the door.  
  
Rory grabbed Jess' hand and smiled. "No, I'm not ready to go."  
  
He stopped, looking back at her. "You're not?"  
  
"No way. I'm just surprised. You never talk about your childhood. I don't think I know a whole ten things about your past. Tell me about it." The genuine curiosity on her face was enough to make Jess melt.  
  
"Well..." He grabbed her hand, leading her into the room and began the tour. "Over here is the library..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
a/n - so... any better than the first one? is it clear enough? not too confusing, i mean it's supposed to be secretive, but mystery and confusion are totally different.  
  
and don't forget... REVIEW!!!! PLEEEEZZZZZZ!!! 


	3. The Way Things Used To Be

a/n - okay, i got a much better response to the second chapter than the first, so i thought i'd give it an update. thanks for all the reviews. same disclaimers apply.  
  
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03 - The Way Things Used To Be  
  
Lorelei sat on the couch, trying to sort out her thoughts. Rory had been so distant lately. Nothing was the same as it had been... A few months ago, she and Rory were best friends. They shared everything, and when Rory had made the decision to break up with Dean, Lorelai had known even before she did. She had sensed it, felt it just as Rory had. But now... things were different.  
  
Sighing, Lorelai couldn't help but flash back to that night... the night that had changed everything.  
  
Rory, despite the multitude of warnings Lorelai had given her about Jess, refused to admit that there was anything wrong with him. She had insisted that he was really a good guy underneath, that there was something no one but her could see. Lorelai frowned at the memory; she had known better, but had allowed Rory to go out with him anyways. After all, it was Luke's nephew, and how much trouble could he get her in on one date? Rory would go out with him, realize that he wasn't the nice guy she'd thought, and come home. And that would be the end of Jess Mariano.  
  
Unfortunately, that's not at all what had happened.  
  
Lorelai shuddered, remembering that phone call. She'd been sitting on the couch, only half paying attention to the movie on the tv, The Whole Nine Yards, trying to sort out seating plans for the upcoming wedding when the phone had rang.  
  
* * * * * Flashback  
  
"Speak quickly. I have left Taylor sitting precariously close to Luke, and there may be violence before I can separate them." Lorelai answered the phone while suspiciously eying the figures she'd been using for the seating arrangements as if they may begin moving on their own. She'd definitely been alone with them for far too long.  
  
"Mom?"  
  
"That would be me." Lorelai paused her actions, noticing the subdued tone in her daughter's voice.  
  
"Still working on the seating arrangements?"  
  
"Ummm... yeah. Are you going to tell me what's going on, or am I going to have to come interrupt your date to find out? Date! Why are you calling me in the midst of your date? Did Jess do something? I knew I shouldn't of trusted him! He tried something, didn't he? Ugh! Well, good thinking to get away from him. Where are you? I'll be right-"  
  
"Mom! Chill out a second, okay? Jess didn't do anything."  
  
"Oh. No? Then why are you calling?" She was even more suspicious now, because Rory's voice was unusually high-pitched.  
  
"I am going to tell you something right now, but you have to promise not to freak out on me. I only have another minute or so to talk."  
  
"Fine...." Lorelai's head was racing with thoughts of car accidents and hospitals, deaths, everything but what her daughter was about to say.  
  
"Mom. I'm down at the police station. I need you to come get me."  
  
"WHAT? YOU'RE WHERE?!"  
  
"Calm down Mom, it's not that bad. Nobody is pressing charges, but I do need you to come sign me out of here."  
  
"Fine, fine.." Lorelai was becoming frantic, running around looking for her shoes. "I'll be there in about two minutes, okay? As soon as I find my shoes..."  
  
"Mom?"  
  
"Hmmm?" Only paying half-attention to her  
  
"It might take longer than that."  
  
Lorelai stopped dead in her tracks. "Why would it take longer than two minutes?" A long silence answered her, and Lorelai began to get impatient. "Rory?"  
  
"I'minNewYorkCity."  
  
"YOU'RE WHERE? WHY? HOW? WHAT WERE YOU THIN-" That being the second time that sentence had been spoken, Lorelai was about to lay into her daughter when she heard a voice on the other end, talking to Rory.  
  
"Miss, you have 30 seconds left."  
  
"Mom? Did you hear that? I don't have much time, but we're down here at the NY county Police Dept. Just ask for Sgt. Michaels, he's the one I've been talking to. Oh, and please call Luke while you're at it and have him come with you, Jess is here too. Okay, bye mom."  
  
With that, the line went dead and Lorelai stood staring at the phone in her hands. Her daughter was in jail and it was all Jess's fault. She picked the phone up and dialed Luke's number.  
  
"Luke, I need you to come over here. Jess got Rory and him arrested." She hung up the phone, her eyes blazing with anger. There was no way Jess was getting within an inch of Rory, ever again.  
  
* * * * * Present  
  
Luke was busy filtering the rice out of his salt shakers when he heard the bell on the door followed by a loud pouting voice. "Fooooooood."  
  
"Hello Lorelai." He greeted her without even looking up from the task at hand.  
  
"Luke! You are ignoring me!" She exclaimed. "I am starving, practically wasting away to nothing after my daughter purposely deterred my dinner."  
  
"Oh, I did not. You were the one who couldn't find your black shoes that you just had to wear with those pants." Rory smiled at her mother, who stood defensively with her hands on her hips.  
  
"Excuses, excuses. You hush Franklin girl. If you had not been working on the paper, we could have come down here to eat at five when I got home and I never would have taken the shoes off in the first place, thereby making it all your fault." Without waiting for a response from her daughter, Lorelai turned back to Luke with slight annoyance in her tone. "So what exactly are you doing that is more important than my dinner?"  
  
Luke fumbled with the salt shaker, dropping it onto the floor. "I was trying to remove all the rice from this salt shaker, but seeing as how it's all on the floor now..." The salt shaker made a resounding thud as Luke hurled the entire thing into the trash can.  
  
"Whoa. Bad day?" Rory smiled at his irritation.  
  
"Yeah. Taylor decided that it would be much more sanitary if we had a salt/rice mixture in all the salt shakers, thereby keeping the salt fresher longer. So he took it upon himself to fill up half the salt shakers in the restaurant while I was talking to Jess' principal."  
  
"Uh oh. Am I going to have to build a stage for you?"  
  
"What?" Luke was still occupied with wiping the salt off the counters.  
  
"Well... last time I met with Rory's principal, I ended up in a fashion show, and YOU," Lorelai pointed at the confused man standing opposite her, "ended up building me a stage. So I was just wondering..."  
  
Realizing a rant was beginning, Luke interrupted her before it could go any further. "No stages."  
  
"Whew! That's a relief. Because I don't think I could build one, much less one that doesn't lean. I mean..." For a second, Luke stood and watched her speak, irritation growing on his features. Then, in a desperate attempt to shut her up, he grabbed the coffee pot  
  
"Here, drink this."  
  
"Oooh! I should talk about carpentry more often! Free coffee!" Lorelai bounced giddily as she raised the mug to her lips.  
  
"So... Jess' principal called you?" Rory tried to casually reintroduce the subject, but was met with a suspicious glance from her mother. Pretending not to notice, she swivelled on her stool, turning her back on her mother.  
  
Oblivious to the rising tension, Luke resumed talking. "Yeah... he thinks that the weekly conferences are helping. Jess' grades have gone up and he's not getting in as much trouble."  
  
"As much trouble." Lorelai grumbled into her coffee cup, earning irritated glances from both of her companions.  
  
"Talking about me again?" Coming down the stairs, Jess stopped directly behind Lorelai, implanting himself in the conversation.  
  
"No! I just said... is it so much trouble to get a simple hamburger around here?" Lorelai lazily covered herself.  
  
"Right... I'll see what I can do." Luke headed for the kitchen, eager to extract himself from the uncomfortable scene they'd created. Unfortunately, Jess was seeming to enjoy the discomfort. Pausing, Luke stepped back to watch the trio from the back room.  
  
Jess sauntered around the counter, grinning like a madman as he addressed the two women. "And how are we doing tonight?"  
  
"We WERE fine." Lorelai made her feelings clear as Rory shot her a dirty look.  
  
"We're good Jess. How are you?"  
  
"Can't complain. I've actually had a pretty great day so far- " It was obvious that the boy was intending on continuing talking, but Luke interrupted him.  
  
"Jess! Get back here."  
  
The smile made one final showing before disappearing as Jess left the two in silence.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
a/n - so what do you think? decent so far? do you want more? and you know how to get me to post the next chapter faster.... review! 


	4. All It Takes Is A Mistake

a/n - hey guys, thanks for all the great reviews and sorry about the long wait for this chapter... i hope it was worth it...  
  
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04 - All It Takes Is A Mistake  
  
* * * * * flashback  
  
"Where are you going?" Rory's voice was slightly panicked as her mother passed the turn to their house. Not a word had been exchanged between the two for over an hour and Rory was almost afraid as she broke the silence. But observing the determined line on her mother's face and the quickly approaching lights of Star's Hollow, Rory was afraid to admit that she knew exactly where her mother was going.  
  
"Mom, you can't go to Luke's tonight." Her voice was beginning to sound hysterical as 1st Street came into view. If her mother had a confrontation with Jess and Luke tonight, there was no telling what might happen. "It's late and you're upset. Everyone's tired and it's been a long night. Please, just give it some time. Tomorrow you'll-"  
  
"No Rory. Tomorrow I won't because I'm going there tonight and I am going to tell that little..." Lorelai trailed off as the jeep lurched to a stop outside Luke's Diner and she yanked up the parking break, practically flying out of the car.  
  
Eyes wide, Rory leapt out after her mother, trying to stop her the whole time. "Mom! Please just stop! They're probably not even back yet, they had to go get Luke's truck; they were probably about twenty minutes behind us."  
  
"Luke drives fast. Especially when he's mad." The elder Gilmore's face was set in a firm line as she approached the diner and began banging on the door. "Luke! Jess! Get the hell down here right now!"  
  
Rory was tugging on her mother's jacket, trying to stop her from breaking the glass. "Come on Mom, it wasn't his fault. He didn't mean for this to happen."  
  
Suddenly the woman stopped her banging and marched towards the car, sarcasm lacing her voice. "Yeah, and it wasn't Hitler's intention to start World War II. I guess sometimes these things just happen." Lorelai emerged from the jeep with crowbar in hand, a demonic glint in her eyes.  
  
"Would you stop doing that!? You're going to wake up the whole town!" Rory tried to restrain her mother, but the woman was out of control. Tears formed in Rory's eyes as she watched her mother attempt to jimmy the lock open. "Mom, please! I told you what happened!"  
  
"Right. And it was a nice, little story that I'll have to get you to write down one day for me. It would make a great novel, Rory. Fiction. Argh!!! Why won't this damn thing work!?" Lorelai was bordering on insane now as she threw the crowbar onto the ground, just narrowly missing Rory's ankle.  
  
Looking shocked at the crowbar, Rory moved towards her mother again. "Mom... come on, they're not here and we can't get in. We might as well just... what are you doing?" Rory's tone suddenly metamorphosed from distraught to fearful as the woman's searching eyes landed on the crowbar a second time. Grasping the cold metal, Lorelai worked her way towards the diner's entrance  
  
"MOM!!! You are not going to do that!" Rory threw herself in front of the diner's door, intent on keeping the glass plate from any further damage. Lorelai raised the crowbar in response.  
  
"Rory, get out of my way." Her tone was unwavering and Rory was unsure of what to do. She'd never flat-out disobeyed her mother before, but Lorelai had never been so crazy either. So there they stood... mother against daughter, neither one sure what was going to happen when suddenly a pair of headlights shone on them, and Lorelai dropped her weapon, a new focus on her mind.  
  
"Lorelai? What are you doing?" Luke emerged from the driver's side of the vehicle, moving towards the advancing woman.  
  
"Not now, Luke. Where is he? Jess? Are you in there?" Lorelai pounded on the hood of the truck and tried to get on the passenger's side, but Luke grabbed her arm, the only voice of reason present.  
  
"Lorelai, you need to calm down."  
  
"No Luke, I don't need to do anything but talk to that little bastard!"  
  
"Mom! Stop!" Rory now had a hold of her mother's other arm as she assisted Luke in holding the adrenalinely charged woman back.  
  
"Lorelai, just calm-"  
  
"No, let her talk." Jess' voice suddenly sounded out of the darkness as moved away from the truck, his usual brooding expression in place.  
  
"Jess, I'm not sure that is such a-" Rory's apprehensive argument was silenced by a sudden lunge from Lorelai. Breaking free from her holders, Lorelai quickly advanced on Jess, stopping when her face was only inches from his. Studying him for a second, time seemed to move in slow motion as everyone wondered what was next. Even Jess appeared somewhat uneasy as they waited, his eyes locked steadfast with hers.  
  
When she finally spoke, her voice came out low and threatening. "You stay away from my daughter. Don't talk to her. Don't look at her. I don't even want you thinking about coming within two feet of her ever again. It was a mistake for them to let you come here, and it was a mistake for me to let her be your friend." Lorelai paused, taking a deep breath as she once again brought the street to silence.  
  
By the time she finished speaking, Jess' head was down, his gaze focused on the cement sidewalks. Then something happened that Rory had never seen before in her life; something she didn't think would ever happen. Licking his lips and meeting Lorelai square in the eye, Rory drew in a breath at the unguarded expression Jess wore. His eyes shone with honesty as he spoke in a cracking voice.  
  
"I know that it doesn't change anything, but I ...I really am sorry." If Rory hadn't been in tears already, that would have been the breaking point. Jess had actually apologized to her mother after the abuse she'd wreaked on him. Looking up, she saw that his eyes were still trained on her mother, his face pleading for forgiveness.  
  
But Lorelai's angry words quickly wiped away all signs of remorse as she lashed out at him. "You're sorry? You're sorry that one of my oldest friends got stuck taking care of an absolute horror of a human being? Or you're sorry that you have cursed this entire town with your presence? Or maybe it's the fact that you insisted on dragging my daughter along on your downward spiral? Is that what you're sorry for?" And with those words, those unforgettable words, Lorelai had crushed all of Rory's hopes of reconciliation...  
  
* * * * * Present  
  
Rory lay still in her bed, reliving that nightmare in her mind. It had been nearly two months since she'd watched her mother degrade Jess in front of the whole town, and it still brought tears to her eyes to remember the broken look on Jess' face as Lorelai and Luke had dragged the pair in opposite directions. That was the moment she realized that her mother was too late; she had already fallen in love with him.  
  
So here she was two months later, listening intently to the silence as she planned yet another midnight escape. Her mom had gone to bed over an hour ago, and Rory had been laying there ever since. Turning her head carefully, she glanced at the clock. 12:14 am.  
  
Time to go.  
  
Smiling to herself, Rory hopped out of bed and automatically arranged the pillows under the comforter. Granted, it was a lame and virtually ineffective alibi, but she figured it was better than nothing. At least if her mother walked by, there would appear to be something in the bed. Besides, she had been meeting Jess at night for almost two months now and that precaution had yet to fail her, so why mess with a good thing?  
  
Grabbing for her previously stocked backpack, Rory felt a slight twinge of guilt. When had it become so habitual for her to lie to her mother and sneak out of the house in the middle of the night? The thought stopped her in mid-movement and Rory looked in the mirror.  
  
She appeared to be the same girl. Same wavy brown hair. Same pale white skin. Same pale blue eyes. But they weren't. Even Rory could see the difference in herself. The sweet innocence she'd once had was gone. Her eyes were now deep and guarded; the eyes of someone with a secret. Looking away, Rory spotted a familiar paradox.  
  
Sitting side by side on her vanity were two novels: The Sun Also Rises and Jane Eyre. Her new life and her old life. How many times had she been faced with similar situations. Seeing something that reminded her of what things used to be like and something that showed her how far she'd come from there, laying side by side. A choice. Without thinking twice, Rory snatched the novel Jess had given her that afternoon off the dresser. So much for the past.  
  
* * * * *  
  
SLAM!!!  
  
Luke was startled out of his sleep by the obnoxious sound. He dozily made his way towards the door of Jess' room only to see the teen fully dressed opening the door. "What are you doing?"  
  
Jess looked him straight in the eyes. "Nothing."  
  
"Why are you dressed?"  
  
He shrugged in response. "Couldn't sleep."  
  
"Humph. You can always sleep. Where are you going?" There was definitely something going on here and Luke was determined to figure out what it was.  
  
"Nowhere. God! Why do you have to be so suspicious all the time?"  
  
"Come on. You're up at one am, fully dressed, headed out of your bedroom? I'm supposed to be okay with that?"  
  
"Fine. I wasn't tired, okay? And I was going to go for a walk. I needed to clear my head. Besides, it's not like anyone is going to get me in Stars Hollow." Jess smirked at his uncle, leaving no room for conversation.  
  
Luke sighed. "You know, Jess in the past few months your attitude had been improving and you were really starting to seem okay with everything here. But the past few days, what is your problem?"  
  
Jess hesitated for a second, looking like he had something to confess. But, just as quickly, his face clouded over and became unreadable again. "You wouldn't understand."  
  
"Try me." Luke blocked his nephew's way for a few second longer, each man with his arms crossed over his chest. Seeing that he was not going to get a response, Luke stepped back. "Fine. Go. But if I find out that there has been ANY mischief of ANY kind tomorrow morning, you will not be leaving this apartment for a month. There is still plenty of work to be done around here: painting the walls, building the shelves..." Luke was going to continue with his list, but Jess interrupted him.  
  
"So, I can go then?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Bye." Luke watched as Jess sauntered out the front door. There was definitely something going on with that boy, and he intended to figure out what it was. It took him only a second to make his decision. Luke snatched up his coat and went down into the diner. He watched from the windows as Jess crossed the center of the town and headed towards the woods. Then he slipped out the door to follow him.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
a/n - i've got two stories going here, so if you want me to work on this one, make sure i know it! (and you all know how to do that... REVIEWS!) 


	5. Listening With Your Heart

a/n - once again, the reviews are very inspiring... plus i'm avoiding final's studying, so here's another chapter. it's a little longer than the others are, i think.  
  
and to the person that said the switching between flashbacks and present was confusing, it's just something new i'm trying. i kinda like the dimension it adds to the story rather than starting with the date and flashing to the present. but i hope it wasn't too confusing for everyone... it doesn't really matter cuz that part is just about over anyways... i think this is gonna be the last chapter with one.  
  
cuz now that the background is all laid out, this is the chapter where conflict begins! (at the end at least) but before that: BEWARE: serious mushiness ahead. i was even making fun of myself over the corn factor of it all. ...can't believe i'm the lamo who wrote it. :)  
  
and to end that LONG an, here's chapter 5  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
05 - Listening With Your Heart  
  
Rory sat on the bridge, waiting. She'd been here for a good fifteen minutes already, and the quiet sounds of nature were beginning to lull her to sleep. Blinking furiously, she checked her watch again. It wasn't like Jess to be this late. Usually he was the one waiting for her.  
  
Sighing, Rory zipped up her coat a little more sat up a little straighter, readjusting the flashlight in her hand so she could read the words in front of her a little bit better. Soon she became so enthralled with the book that she didn't even notice Jess' arrival until he wrapped his arms around her little figure, kissing her cheek.  
  
"Jess!" Rory nearly dropped her book and flashlight into the lake at his touch. "You scared me."  
  
"Sorry about that." He murmured, catching her lips in his and placing the book and light off to the side of them.  
  
"You know what? I don't think that you are. You seem awfully pleased that you almost made your girlfriend lose her very first copy of Hemingway into the lake."  
  
"I like the sound of that."  
  
Rory looked up confused. He'd been the one who bought her the book. "What? Me losing my copy-"  
  
"No... the girlfriend part. I don't think you've ever called yourself that before." Jess smiled down at her in a rare moment of sincerity.  
  
"Well, you'd better like it. I'd hate to think that the past few months have been some sort of a joke." She pouted a little, making Jess laugh.  
  
"I definitely like it. You should say it more often."  
  
"Okay, girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend..." Rory stood up and began walking around, repeating the title over and over again.  
  
Jess' tone was playful as he interrupted her chant. "All right, you can shut up now."  
  
"Ugh!" Placing her hands on her hips, Rory attempted to look angry. "That's no way to talk to your girlfriend!"  
  
"Okay, okay... but if I told you that I had a present for you, would you be quiet?"  
  
"I might be, but if I'm not mistaken didn't you already give your girlfriend her present this afternoon?"  
  
Jess rolled his eyes at her persistence. "Maybe I'll just have to find someone else to give this to then...."  
  
"Wait! I'm not complaining. Just give me the present." Jess smirked at the selfish glint in Rory's eyes.  
  
"Okay..." Jess smiled, producing a small package from under his right arm. Rory immediately tore it open and started squealing.  
  
"Oooh... pretty." She was already grasping the cross shaped pendant hanging on a thin silver chain. Flipping the object in her hand, Rory discovered the lightly etched inscription on the back. Fixing Jess with a soft smile she read the words aloud. "In a universe of ambiguity..."  
  
* * * * * Flashback  
  
"Hey." Rory shuffled nervously as she entered the apartment.  
  
Jess barely glanced up the book he sat reading as he moved his legs to make room for her on the couch. "Hey."  
  
"You don't look surprised to see me." Rory sat down, placing her hands uncomfortably in her lap.  
  
"Well, your mom was whining all day about having to work the night shift all week while Michel was on vacation, and then Luke made it abundantly clear in the diner this afternoon that he was going to be attending a meeting at my school. And we," Jess stared unflinchingly into her eyes, "have some unfinished business."  
  
"Yeah, about the other night..." Rory's voice suddenly became earnest as she reached out for his hand. "I'm really sorry about what my mom said to you."  
  
"The part about me being a lowlife who didn't deserve the chance Luke was giving me or the part about us not being allowed to date anymore?" Jess cleared his throat, obviously more affected by the words than he wanted to let on.  
  
"I was going to say the first one... but actually both." Rory cursed her face as she felt it heat up drastically; she was probably all red.  
  
Ignoring her embarrassment, Jess responded hesitantly, as if he were deciding what he wanted to say. "Yeah... me too." He took an intentional pause while his eyes searched hers. "...At least about the second one."  
  
Avoiding the insinuated question, Rory veered in the other direction, her tone deliberately teasing. "You're not sorry she called you a loser?"  
  
"Hey, sticks and stones." Jess smiled lightly, and Rory returned it, the comfort between the two growing.  
  
"Well... she didn't know what she was talking about." When he didn't respond, Rory cleared her throat nervously and changed the subject. "So... whatchya reading?" As she spoke, she shifted her body towards his, leaving the two little space between them. The proximity left her slightly light- headed, and her mind was screaming that she had better get out of there before she did something regrettable... but she wasn't ready to leave yet.  
  
"Nothing." He speedily moved the novel out of sight, but not before Rory caught a glimpse of it.  
  
"The Bridges of Madison County?!" She was shocked, and began giggling. "I never realized you were the sappy romantic type." "Well, there wasn't anything else on Luke's bookshelf I haven't read. And besides, it's not all that sappy. It's realistic." His voice was heavy and full of emotion, and Rory couldn't help but grimace at the sound.  
  
Her voice lost all its previous playfulness as she spoke. "Plus you were in wallow mode." It wasn't a question; it was a statement, and Jess tilted his face up towards her, his eyes asking what his mouth wasn't.  
  
"Is there something wrong with that?"  
  
Rory hesitated for a second, unable to resist the gravity drawing her towards him. Her voice came out low and wanting as she spoke. "I just didn't think you'd wallow over me." Their faces were close now, and Rory leaned in closing her eyes. All she could think about was him. His scent, his touch... nothing her mother had said mattered. Right now, she was Franchesca and he was Robert, and they were the passionate lovers discarding all responsibilities and obligations to be together.  
  
Before she could deepen the kiss, Jess pulled away slightly, risking it to ask a question. "Are you sure?"  
  
"In a universe of ambiguity, this kind of certainty comes only once." And she smiled, leaning in again as he murmured into her mouth.  
  
"Looks like we're both a couple of saps."  
  
* * * * * Present  
  
The first time she'd said it, Rory had meant it as a mere substitution for 'yes' and to prove that she'd read the book. But as time went on, and as that one night had turned into a week and those weeks into months, the words had become a kind of call line for her where Jess was concerned. She was more sure about him than anything else in her life, and she knew he felt the same way.  
  
She lifted her hair as he clasped the necklace for her. Then she looked down, admiring it. "This is amazing, absolutely perfect." She was practically glowing with happiness, and he was practically radiating with happiness at her reaction, though he would never admit it.  
  
"I know it's not so unique, but..."  
  
"...but I love it." She smiled graciously. "Plus, the inscription is... well, you know how perfect it is." She fisted the cross in her hands, grinning at him. "And I'm never taking it off."  
  
"Ah, ah.. that's what you said about Dean's bracelet, remember?" Jess raised an eyebrow at her, a teasing glint in his eye.  
  
"Gosh, you're so cynical. How did I end up with such a pessimistic boyfriend?" She flipped her head towards the river, grinning to herself as she wondered if he would react to the word boyfriend the way he had to girlfriend.  
  
Catching the meaning of her words, Jess grinned back. "I'm ignoring that."  
  
"What? Boyfriend? Boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend...." He interrupted her with a short kiss, then he backed away, leaving her standing alone for just a second he walked over to the side of the bridge where he dumped the bag he'd brought out, digging through the contents.  
  
"Whatcha doing over there?" Rory tried to sneak a peek at his actions.  
  
"You are never going to learn to just stand back and relax, are you?" Jess's voice was muffled as he turned his back towards her, obviously trying to hide what he was doing.  
  
"It's not in my nature. I'm more of a planner. Did you know that I made my first itinerary at the age of four? Yep. I'd just learned to tell time, digital of course, and we were going to the zoo. So I drew little pictures of all the animals I wanted to see on a sheet of paper and next to them I wrote what times we were going to look at them. And I made my mom follow it to the tee, even though she kept making fun of my artistic abilities. Ooh! Except we did get behind schedule at the hippopotamuses' cage where there was this annoying kid in front of us who..." She trailed off as the first slow chords began.  
  
Jess walked slowly towards her, a self-satisfied look on his face as Rory recognized the song. It was The Dolphin's Cry, the song that they had danced to on their first date in the 'magic shop'. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his neck and they began to sway together in time with the music.  
  
Lowering her head to rest on his chest, Rory felt him lean into her, resting his face in her hair. More content than she'd ever been in her life, Rory found herself murmuring, "You know, that's exactly what I love about you. You're always surprising me."  
  
Jess's head snapped up quicker than a flash of lightening, his eyes locked intensely on hers. "What did you say?"  
  
She blushed at his reaction, knowing the seriousness of what she'd just blurted out. But she knew that it had been the truth. She did love him, more than she had ever loved anyone in her life. This was such a new experience for her. With Dean, she'd had to think about it and analyze it. But with Jess she just knew it was true. She looked up into his eyes as he stared down at her, waiting for her response. Tightening her hold on his neck, she spoke the words softly and deliberately.  
  
"I said that I love you, Jess Mariano."  
  
Immediately Rory felt her nerves ease as the look of doubting shock was replaced with a smile so large she had to look twice to make sure it was actually him. "You have no idea how long I have been waiting to hear you say that." He lowered his neck so that he could kiss her, but she turned her face with a teasing grin.  
  
"Is that all you have to say to me?"  
  
"Is there something else?" He removed one hand from her hips and scratched his head, pretending to be trying very hard to think of something else to say.  
  
"If you want another kiss tonight there is." She was smiling into his chest, not nervous in the least that he didn't return her feelings.  
  
"Rory Gilmore, you know very well that I fell for you the first day I saw you." Once again, he lowered his mouth to hers, only to be rejected with another teasing smirk.  
  
"So... were you ever planning on telling me that?" Rory continued to sway calmly to the music with him, enjoying the nervous twitching she was causing for him.  
  
"Isn't that what I just did?"  
  
Her only reaction to his evasive words was to smile patiently up at him, waiting. The nervousness in the pit of Jess's stomach tightened. He knew how he felt about her, and he knew that she knew. But saying the words was an entirely new experience for him. The last time he'd said those words and meant them, he'd been seven and his dad had just shrugged and told him to go to bed.  
  
But the tender way she was stroking the back of his neck and the smile playing on her lips... He knew that it would be different this time. "I love you, Rory." It came out in a husky whisper and he could see the tears sparkling in her eyes as he leaned down to kiss her.  
  
"And I love you." With that began to kiss with such intensity that their knees were two weak to stand on and the two of them found themselves exiting the bridge and collapsing onto the soft grass beside it, his body covering hers, both dizzy with excitement.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Dammit." Luke shook the flashlight he'd been carrying again, only to watch it lose all battery power and flicker out. Throwing it into the brush, he attempted to distinguish which path Jess had taken.  
  
"How the hell does that kid know where he's going?" Luke tromped off down the path, not even trying to be quiet anymore when he heard it. Soft music and... was that? Yes, Luke was sure he could hear some quiet whispering over the music.  
  
"Do you hear that?" Luke finally noticed the way he was whispering out loud. "Which way is it coming from?"  
  
He turned his head towards the right, then the left. Judging that the second one seemed louder, Luke strode off in desperation. "You're really losing it, Danes: walking around in the middle of the night talking to yourself, you're really losing it."  
  
He stopped, preparing to turn around and go home. He didn't care what he was doing. But wait... Luke paused, thinking... If Jess was out here with some kind of gang in the middle of the damn night....  
  
"...were you ever planning on telling me that?"   
  
In his lack of movement, Luke could make out what they were saying, and he moved a little closer so he could see them too. There was Jess, holding a dark-haired girl in his arms. "Great, meeting a girl." Luke grumbled to himself. "Even better."  
  
But why did that voice sound familiar? Luke tried to get a good look at her, but he couldn't see her face with Jess in the way. He strained forward to listen, and finally he was able to make out the next words Jess said.  
  
"I love you, Rory."   
  
Rory! That's why she seemed so familiar. This could not be happening. Luke was on the edge of his sanity as he heard Rory's response.  
  
"And I love you."   
  
Luke turned his back to the scene as they kissed. He had to do something! Normally he would walk out there and punch the guy in the face, tell Rory to go home, and then go home himself and try to forget he'd ever seen such a thing. But it was Jess. Luke couldn't do that. Especially not when he now realized that Rory was the reason he and Jess had been getting along so well lately.  
  
But...They weren't supposed to be here, together. Lorelai would never let them... Lorelai. Oh God. She didn't know that they were here. They had been sneaking around, probably since the whole police station fiasco two months ago. Two months. Slowly fury started to overtake the shock. They had been lying for two months, for two entire months they had been sneaking around and lying... Luke still wasn't sure what to say, but he was going to say something.  
  
Turning around, he almost passed out at the sight that greeted him. While he'd been so lost in his thoughts, the two of them had laid down on the soft grass across the bridge, and were now kissing with such intensity that Luke wasn't entirely sure one of them wasn't going to lose consciousness from lack of oxygen.  
  
"Ahem." He cleared his throat loudly. No reaction. They were a little too caught up in what they were doing to be bothered by outside noise. So Luke walked across the bridge and stood over the two of them.  
  
"Am I interrupting something?"  
  
That sure got their attention. They jumped about three feet and turned to him with the looks of two deer caught in the headlights. It almost made him laugh. Almost. Instead, he glowered down at the two of them and watched Rory's face flush bright red. Even Jess's ears turned a little pink, although most people would have been too distracted by the menacing looks he was shooting his uncle to notice.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
Luke was amazed. This kid had a lot of nerve. "What am I doing here? What are you doing here? In case you haven't noticed it's almost two o'clock in the morning, and tomorrow is a school day."  
  
"Really? Cause I had not realized that. Did you know that Rory?" Jess had found his way to his feet and looked ready to haul off and hit someone.  
  
"Jess..." The tone in her voice was soft, yet firm. She pleaded with her eyes for him not to start something. Giving in slightly, Jess reached down, taking her hand and helping her to her feet.  
  
Rory took a second to brush all the grass off her clothes, then avoiding all eye contact with Luke, she started to walk towards home, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had engulfed the trio. "Well... I guess I'd better be going now..."  
  
"Oh no." Luke grabbed her arm by the elbow, and snatched Jess' with the other. "Neither one of you are going anywhere. We are all going back to the diner to have a nice, long talk where you," he looked directly at Rory, "can call your mother."  
  
With that, he began half-walking, half-dragging the two young people back towards town.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
a/n - ha! i just love that last scene. can't you just see luke, all blushing and stuttering while totally going parental on rory? classic luke. hope the small cliffhanger doesn't leave you guys in tooo much suspense. :) 


	6. A Real Problem

an - sorry for the outrageously long time between updates; it's been a hectic, computerless holiday for me. But i'm back now, and you can expect regular (meaning once or twice a week) updates until this story is finished. :)  
  
thanks for all the reviews. all past disclaimers still apply.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
06 - A Real Problem  
  
"No." Luke stared incredulously at Rory as she put the phone that Luke had just handed her back onto the cradle in absolute defiance.  
  
"No?" He couldn't stop staring at this stranger in front of him. This was not the Rory he knew. The Rory that he knew was always a quiet, polite girl, eager to please. Not the girl who gets caught making out in the woods in the middle of the night then refuses to call her mother.  
  
"I won't do it. There is no way that she'll understand, and I refuse to get into it with her." Rory walked over to the table where Luke was sitting and placed her hand on his. "You know that I respect you Luke, and I would never want to upset you, but I am telling you that I refuse to talk to my mother about this. You saw how unreasonable she became after the whole New York incident." She pleaded with him.  
  
"Rory, you and Jess got arrested. How was she supposed to act? He took you to a rave! Did you just expect her to go on letting you see Jess after that? And now this, this sneaking around? I don't know what to do with you!" Luke threw his arms in the air, unsure of what to say.  
  
Rory turned to face Jess, who was sitting on a barstool staring at his feet. "You never told him, did you?"  
  
Jess looked up at her, never saying a word, but his eyes told Rory all she needed to know. She shook her head in disbelief, and Luke's voice broke the trance.  
  
"Told him what?"  
  
Rory turned to face Luke again. "Jess never told you the reason why we got taken down to the station, did he?" Luke stared from the understanding look on Rory's face to the stoic one on his nephew's.  
  
"He didn't have to. You guys were at a rave, and got caught. What more was there to tell?"  
  
Instead of answering him, Rory walked over to Jess and took his hand. "You should've told him. He deserved to at least have all the information."  
  
Jess stared straight ahead, ignoring her. "He wouldn't have cared. Nobody cared." Then, turning to look at Rory he continued, "You told your mother, didn't you?" Rory nodded, and Luke noticed her confidence faltered slightly at that. But he didn't have much time to wonder what that meant because Jess quickly continued, "And did she care?"  
  
Leaping off the stool, Jess answered his own question. "No, she didn't even give it a second thought. So now you're not just a teenager who screwed up, you're a teenager who screwed up AND lied about it." By this point, he was pacing across the room, hands jammed into his pockets.  
  
Rory settled herself on the table, obviously accustomed to her boyfriend's obstinacy. "Jess.. that's not the point- "  
  
Unfortunately for both of them, Luke was equipped with an already-short fuse, and by now his tolerance for being ignored was long gone. His presence was quickly remembered as he exploded, "I don't care what the point is! If somebody does not tell me in the next ten seconds what the hell is going on here, I am pushing you both outside and calling Patty to make sure that the entire town knows that you two were wandering around town in the middle of the night alone, together.  
  
"Then you," He pointed at Rory, "can deal with your mother on your own." Silence greeted him and he started counting. "Ten... nine.... eight...." Luke walked over to the door, opening it. "Seven.... six.... five...." Rory stared at Jess with a pleading look. "Four.... three... tw- "  
  
"Fine!" Jess roared, stunning both Luke and Rory. Then, avoiding looking at either one of them, he launched into the story. "The night of our date, we ended up at that rave because I had taken her to New York so she could see where I grew up." He lowered his eyes and his voice got soft, causing both Luke and Rory to move in closer so they could hear him.  
  
"We ended up going to dinner at a pizza place where I used to go with my friends a lot, and we ran into some of them. We were only talking, but then Sandy got a page from a party where Pete, a really old friend of mine, had gone unconscious after doing god know's what. No one there would call an ambulance because they were afraid of getting in trouble, so they were basically just letting him die in a back room."  
  
Jess' voice was unsteady as he collapsed into a chair, all the fight gone from him. Rory took hold of his hand and sat on the table in front of him, placing her hand on his back.  
  
"Jess had to go, Luke. His friend was going to die! So after we got there, Jess and his friends got him outside while I called the ambulance. Just our luck, it was then that the police showed up and everyone started to scatter. We couldn't leave his friend there by himself; there was no way the paramedics would've known where he was in that mess. So we stayed with him and ended up having to deal with the police." She looked up at him quizzically. "Didn't you ever wonder why we didn't actually get booked or anything?"  
  
Luke shuffled his feet and looked around the room. "No... I guess not. I just figured that they thought you were young and... Jesus, Rory, I don't know! I grew up in Star's Hollow for God's sake. I don't know how these things work!"  
  
Rory smiled fondly at Luke's confusion before finishing her story. "Well, one of the cops that was on the scene had noticed exactly what was going on with our little group."  
  
"Michaels." Luke added to the conversation as things came into focus.  
  
"Yeah... so he made sure that he was the one that picked up Jess and I, and he also made sure that we were only held in a questioning room until the two of you showed up to sign us out, since we were only minors."  
  
A long, uneasy silence filled the room as Luke took in this new information. Rory felt Jess squeeze her palm as they both stared at Luke's unreadable expression, wondering what was coming next.  
  
"And Lorelai knows all this?" Both sets of eyes widened at the question. This had not been what they were expecting.  
  
"Um.. yeah..." Rory nodded uncomfortably. "I told her, but..."  
  
"But she doesn't believe that I would ever do anything out of compassion for someone else." Jess finished bitterly.  
  
"And you two have been dating in secret ever since?" The two teens nodded anxiously, not knowing what to say. Luke nodded back and continued to shift from foot to foot anxiously. Why had he ever followed Jess out to the wood? "And... um.. when I was back there on the bridge... did I ... uh... hear the word... uh... love being used?"  
  
Rory fought a smile at Luke's discomfort with the subject, but instead she looked him straight in the eyes and answered truthfully. "Yes. I love him, Luke and I don't care what my mom, or even you, says. I am going to keep seeing Jess."  
  
Jess admired the defiant spark in her eyes and nodded in agreement, an unintentional smile forming on his face. "What she said."  
  
Luke just stared at the two of them: Rory quietly adamant in her declarations and Jess completely infatuated with her as she stood there. They were in love. Even he could recognize that. And after what he had heard tonight, he didn't see what was so wrong with it. Jess was becoming a better person for every day he spent with Rory; more so, he wasn't intentionally getting her into any trouble. And most importantly, Rory seemed happier tonight with him than Luke had seen her in a long time. So, sighing in concession, Luke just smiled tightly as he looked at the two of them, all six eyes blazing intensely.  
  
"Looks like we have a real problem."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
an - i know it's short, and normally i would've waited until i had a few different scenes to post, but i figured you guys deserved something. :) so that's it, and remember lots of reviews = fast updates. thanx! 


	7. To Keep What You Love

a/n - okay, not too big of a delay this time. i'm just insanely busy. sorry for the inconvenience. i hope you like it, and for those of you that think it's getting monotonous, don't worry - the conflict is coming. :) give them another chapter or two...  
  
oh and don't forget all the previous disclaimers. i do not own any of them. :(  
  
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07 - To Keep What You Love  
  
"Rooooooorrrrrrrry!" Lorelai bounced into her daughter's room. "Wake up! I'm hungry."  
  
"Go away. I'm sleeping."  
  
"Nooooooo. I can't go for breakfast alone. That would qualify me for the title of pathetic, and Kirk would be really sad if I took that away from him." Lorelai followed her daughter as she rolled to the other side of her bed, her voice suddenly becoming soft and tempting. "Besides, I know that you want to go with me. Think about it... blueberry pancakes smothered in maple syrup..."  
  
Lorelai was making her own mouth water with her elaborate description, but it was apparently having no effect on the girl sleeping in the bed. Standing up, she adopted the attitude of a drill sergeant. "Rory Gilmore, if you do not get out of bed, I will be forced to begin singing 'All By Myself' until you take pity on my soul and accompany me to the diner." She paused for a breath, then started in, her voice high and cracking, "All by myself....."  
  
Rory groaned loudly... it was much too early. She hadn't even gotten in until almost five this morning. "What time is it?" She squinted at the clock that her mother was so helpfully using her hand to cover up the numbers on.  
  
"...Don't wanna live... all by myself...." She winked at the grumbling figure as it crawled out of the bed and slowly stumbled towards the bathroom, her hands over her ears.  
  
"I'm up, I'm up.... Just stop the torture."  
  
"...Anymore...." Lorelai grinned at her achievement, pressing herself up against the closed bathroom door. "You do realize I'm going to remember that for future use." Then, not bothering to hear her daughter's retort, she wandered back into her room, intending on finding the earrings Rory had borrowed a few weeks ago.  
  
After shuffling through the jewelry box for a few minutes, a book lying on the desk caught her attention. "Hmmm.... The Sun Also Rises...." Lorelai turned the book over in her hands, inspecting it. Then, she flipped it open, noticing tiny, neat handwriting in the margins. "Jess." Her eyes narrowed as she read a few of the comments.  
  
"What are you doing?" Rory was standing in the doorway, glaring at her mother.  
  
Returning the glare, she snapped at her daughter, "New book?"  
  
"No, old book. If you hadn't noticed, it was written by Hemingway, and he died quite a while ago." Sarcasm laced Rory's voice, and Lorelai matched it in her response.  
  
"I thought you didn't like Hemingway."  
  
"Well, I decided to give him another chance, besides it's not like I'm ever going to get by in life without having read The Sun Also Rises." Acting unconcerned Rory strode towards her dresser, snatching up her hairbrush and raking it through the mat of tangles on her head.  
  
Following her, Lorelai planted herself directly behind her daughter, talking to Rory's reflection while still holding the incriminating novel. "So you just happened to need a copy that Jess wrote in?"  
  
"What are you, some sort of spy?" Her voice had become irate, and Rory whipped around to look her mother in the eyes. "Jess happens to enjoy Hemingway, and he gave me his copy to read. Besides, he's intelligent, and his comments are helpful when reading something you don't necessarily understand."  
  
"I thought I told you I didn't want you spending time with him. He's is serious trouble, Rory." Lorelai crossed her hands over her chest and stared angrily at her daughter.  
  
"God, you act like he's the devil incarnate. It's just a book, Mom. Besides, he gave it to me way back when he first moved here, I just decided to read it last week. Not that the last part was any of your business. Now, since you were the one that woke me up, I would appreciate it if we could go get that breakfast now." Rory glared at her mother and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Lorelai just stood in the room, glaring at the novel on the desk. If someone had told her six months ago that she Rory would hardly be able to exist in the same room without engaging in an argument, she would have laughed in their face. Hell, she would've even laughed in their dog's face, just for good measure.  
  
But now.... Lorelai blinked back tears at the sound of Rory slamming the door and stalking out of the house. When had things gotten so bad?  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jess woke up around six the next morning when he heard Luke rummaging around in the next room. All he wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep, but Jess knew that Luke had to be just as tired as he was, if not more so. So he dragged himself out of bed and made his way down to the diner. Luke stared at him as he grabbed a spray bottle and a rag and began cleaning the many dirty tables.  
  
"What's your deal?"  
  
"I thought you'd be too tired to come down this morning. We were up kind of late..." Luke evaded eye contact as he brought up the memories of last night's occurrences.  
  
Jess managed a small smile for his uncle. "Hey, I figured if you could get up enough energy to open this place, the least I could do was drag my sorry butt down here for the breakfast rush." A short moment of understanding passed between the two men as their eyes met in a silent agreement.  
  
"Thanks." Luke cleared his throat as he made the statement and hastily began filling up the coffee machine, spilling grains all over in the process.  
  
Jess just smiled and went back to the task at hand.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Hey Luke, can we get some coffee over here?" Lorelai and Rory walked into the diner, twins in their sullen expressions.  
  
"Umm. Yeah. Hold on a sec." Luke yelled from the back, obviously busy with something.  
  
"I got it." Jess reached for the coffee pot and went to fill their mugs, smirking to himself as he did it.  
  
Luke, watching from the back, would've found the scene humorous if he'd not known what was going on. Rory was easily ignoring her mother's presence, but trying hard not to stare at Jess. Instead she played with the cross pendant hanging from her neck, a dreamy look on her face. Lorelai, on the other hand was glaring steadily at Jess, obviously repulsed that he was in such close contact with her coffee. Sporadically, she would glance at Rory, just to make sure that she wasn't looking at Jess.  
  
But the most entertaining part by far was Jess. Luke couldn't help but shake his head in amused disapproval as he watched the rebellious youth smile widely at both women, seemingly oblivious to the tension at the table. He watched as Jess chatted a little, obviously enjoying the effect he had on the women. Then, after the cups were filled he turned and walked back towards the counter, shrugging his shoulders at Luke as if to say, "Wonder what their problem is?" Luke just rolled his eyes and set off to take their orders.  
  
"What'll it be?" Suddenly, Luke was straining to appear normal. He didn't know anything. He wasn't covering for anyone. It was just another normal day... Yeah right, if even a minute piece of that was true, why did he feel so strange? Shifting from foot to foot, clearing his throat every two seconds, he could almost feel Rory's eyes on him, begging him not to go back on their agreement. And that innocent look on Lorelai's face... it was just too much. He couldn't stand here and lie to her. He had to tell her the truth... He had to- No!  
  
Luke shook his head, trying to convince himself. He could do this. He'd promised Rory and Jess. And it was just for a little while, until Lorelai got over the whole New York thing and accustomed to the idea of the two of them dating. He knew it was for the best. She would eventually see that Jess was changing and- Oh no! Now she was smiling at him. Looking up, so innocent and unknowing. How was he supposed to keep secrets from that face?  
  
"No." Luke's internal debate became public as the word burst from his mouth.  
  
"No?" Lorelai looked confused at his outburst. He'd obviously interrupted whatever it was she had been saying.  
  
"Uh... no coffee."  
  
"Umm.. Luke, I already got coffee. Remember?" Lorelai lifted her mug up under his nose, swirling the dark liquid inside it for him to see. "That deviant you like to call a nephew served us?"  
  
"Right.. right... so what was it you were having?"  
  
"Blueberry pancakes for me and..." She turned to her daughter.  
  
"Umm... I'm actually not that hungry. I think I'm just going to catch the early bus to Chilton. I have a lot of work to do. Thanks for the coffee." With that, Rory was out the door, with two adults staring after her.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Seeing her exit, Jess inconspicuously went through the doors into the kitchen. "Hey Caesar, how's it going?" Jess greeted the other cook as he passed through the back doors. "Well, it's been a blast, but I gotta go."  
  
Stepping into the alley, he looked around, only to see Rory looking down at him from his bedroom window. "Whatcha doing down there?" She gave him her most flirtatious smile and disappeared from view. Jess quickly took the fire escape up the side of the building only to be attacked upon entering the room. Rory's lips assailed him as he struggled to free himself of his backpack.  
  
"I missed you."  
  
Her words brought a smile to his face despite the corniness of it. Hiding it with a smirk, he raised an eyebrow at her. "It's only been three hours."  
  
"I still missed you." Rory shrugged her shoulders as she broke apart from him and flopped down onto the bed. "My mom and I had a fight. She seen the book you gave me."  
  
"I'm so sorry..." Jess knew he didn't need to say anything. All she needed was for someone to listen to her and hold her.  
  
"I know that I shouldn't have overreacted, but she was just being so.. so pushy. Accusing me.. Argh!"  
  
"It's all right." Jess held her close as she began to cry. After a few minutes the tears dried and she looked up at his concerned face. The seriousness of it made her begin to giggle. And it didn't help matters when Jess looked at her like she was some sort of alien. She had gone from crying to laughing in about four seconds, and the confusion he felt was written all over his face. This, of course, only made her laugh harder. But she momentarily caught her breath and tried to explain to him what was so funny.  
  
"...You..." She breathed out between giggles, "..and me... here.... sneaking.... crying...." He started to smile, understanding her insanity and began to chuckle himself as tears began to run down her face and she had to hold her stomach.  
  
"You are aware that I could have you committed, right?" The look on his face was enough to make Rory break down in giggles again.  
  
"...are you implying that I am insane?"  
  
"Not implying. I thought I was pretty clear."  
  
"You'd never send me away though... you couldn't live without me." Rory spoke the words with a kind of teasing confidence that sent shivers down Jess' spine. As much as he'd like to deny it, he knew that she was right. He needed her. The best part was that she knew it.... and she needed him just as much.  
  
Upon emerging from his thoughts, Jess noticed that without a word, the mood in the room had turned from teasing playfulness to raw emotion. On that realization, he leaned down to kiss her, and she responded with every emotion that had been plaguing her: the anger towards her mother, the guilt at hiding their secret, the gratitude towards Luke, and her love for Jess. It all went into that kiss, and both pulled apart, dizzy with desire.  
  
"Wow..." Jess tried to catch his breath as he ran his mouth along her jawline, trailing kisses across his path. She answered by moaning in pleasure and slipping her hands up under his shirt.  
  
Jess's mouth found hers again, pausing momentarily for her to slip his shirt over his head. The feel of her hands on his bare skin was driving him crazy, and his body screamed for more. Without thinking, he reached down to pull her shirt up, eager to feel her skin against his. She willingly obliged and surprised him by pulling her own shirt up over her head and throwing it into the corner.  
  
Surprised at the action, Jess stopped kissing her and lifted himself up so he could look at her. It wasn't as if he'd never seen Rory without her shirt on before, but she'd never shed it so quickly. It was usually a few hours before she was willing to part with the garment. But Jess was not complaining a bit. Continuing to gaze into her eyes, silently asking her if it was okay, she smiled at him.  
  
"You are so beautiful." He spoke the words with a heartbreaking sincerity that made Rory want to cry. Instead she pulled his mouth down onto hers; she knew that she didn't have to return the compliment. He knew how she felt without her speaking, but that didn't mean that she didn't want to. She pulled back slightly and whispered into his mouth.  
  
"I love you."  
  
Taking her face in his hands, Jess crushed his lips to hers, ravaging every crevice of her mouth. The whole time, his hands grazed her body, sending shivers down both of their spines. His hands touched the back of her bra, and she arched her back as to give him better access. He paused the kissing and stared into her open eyes. This was new territory for them. Rory had never allowed him to remove her bra before, and he wanted to make sure she wanted it before he did something she'd regret. But the look in her eyes was clear. Complete, unrestrained desire.  
  
She rolled them over so she was on top, and Jess easily unhooked the latches and discarded the bra onto the floor. He could feel her up against him and he thought he would go crazy. When Jess looked at her eyes, which shone with excitement, and a little nervousness, he couldn't help but smile at her.  
  
"You are absolutely perfect, you know that?" He eased her anxiety by dropping hands to feel the new territory she'd opened up to him. His mouth quickly followed, taking her hard nipples into his mouth, each one in turn.  
  
Then he returned his lips to hers and they continued kissing.  
  
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an - okay, you guys know what to do! 


	8. Maybe It's Not Too Late

an - i know, i know; i've decided to make no more promises with speedy updating. i am a bad person, and i never keep them; though, if it makes a difference, i do feel bad about it. i know how sad i get when you guys dont' update. there is one thing i do promise though, and that is that i will NEVER leave a story unfinished. if i start it, it's getting done (even if it takes me a while). so just don't lose hope!  
  
disclaimer: i own none of it, obviously since my Jess is much better behaved than the real one (did you guys see how mean they made him last week? As if he would be such a jerk after spending a whole year winning Rory over. Jeezzz...)  
  
anyways... nuff ranting. here it is.  
  
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08 - Maybe It's Not Too Late  
  
"Luke.. I just don't know what to do." Lorelai sat at the counter, swirling her coffee around. She stared dejectedly into the mug she'd been nursing for the past twenty minutes, ever since the mid-morning breakfast crowd had departed. "Things are just so... so strained. It's like me and my mother! I never would have thought things would be like that between us. And to top it off, we have that dinner tonight at the hell you know as Hartford. And the last thing I need is Emily Gilmore getting herself involved."  
  
"Yeah... that's... uh.. rough." Luke stuttered through the words; he was handling himself much better than this morning, but still not up to par. Luckily, though, Lorelai was too involved in her own problems to question this recent shift in behavior.  
  
"...And I even don't know what I did wrong! All I'm trying to do is protect her." She looked up at him, a pained expression on her face. "You have to help me. Tell me what I did!"  
  
"I don't know Lor... when did it start?" Luke's efforts to hide what he knew were not working in his favor.  
  
"When did it start? Haven't you even been listening? This is all because of Jess, and him getting her arrested! Ever since then, she's been moody and withdrawn."  
  
Luke winced, knowing all too well what the problem was. But how much should he tell her? And how? So he settled on a noncommital response. "Well you did kind of forbid her to see him... that might be a reason for the moodiness."  
  
"Yeah.. well, I know what he's like..."  
  
Slowly the nervousness was beginning to fade as Luke felt another emotion altogether. Irritation. Cocking his head slightly, Luke curtly retorted, "You do realize you're talking about my nephew, right?"  
  
Lorelai smiled condescendingly. "Come on Luke, you and I both know that he's trouble." And that was it. Luke was past irritation and moving onto upset now. First she hid what she knew about that night from him, and now she was sitting her talking to him as if he were a child... about a subject she knew nothing about!  
  
"You never even gave him a chance, Lorelai! He moved here and you made up your mind because of one little incident."  
  
She was now looking up at him, surprise written all over her features. Luke was surprised himself; he never raised his voice like that with Lorelai. But this was different; she was wrong, and she just couldn't see it. So he wasn't surprised at the one-sidedness of her response. "Not you too, Luke. Come on, you're the one who pushed him into the lake!"  
  
"Yeah.. well, he's different now, but you're too busy hating him to notice." Luke shifted his gaze from Lorelai's hurt expression to the counter top as he started scrubbing it again. He was going to need a new counter by the time this situation was all figured out.  
  
"So, I'm supposed to let him take my daughter out to get arrested anytime he feels like it." She was being sarcastic now, and the hopeless feeling in the pit of his stomach was growing. "Maybe next time they'll actually be able to spend some real quality time together AT the party. There's no telling what kind of fun he could show her there."  
  
Luke just looked at her with disapproval as he spoke. "You're not being fair."  
  
"Fair? Tell me how that is not fair!" Lorelai's eyes were flashing and she stood up in front of the counter, throwing her arms into the empty space around her.  
  
Mirroring the action, Luke threw down his towel, his tone rising as well. "How about that he didn't intend for any of that to happen? How about he was there helping a friend?"  
  
Spinning around so she didn't have to look at him, Lorelai flung her hand over her face. "Don't tell me you bought that story!"  
  
"You mean now that I've actually heard it? Yeah I buy it!" All of Luke's pent-up aggressions were coming out.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Now that she was looking at him again, Lorelai was a bit intimidated by what she saw.  
  
Luke stood up to his fullest height and met the stormy gaze of Lorelai Gilmore. He was mad, and she knew why. She had had no right to withhold this information from him, especially when she'd come to him asking him to support her decision in forbidding Rory to see Jess. He spoke in a loud, booming voice.  
  
"You never even told me what Rory's story was. All you ever said was that they were at the police station, and they'd gotten arrested for being at an illegal party."  
  
"That was true." She spoke in a contemptuous tone as she examined her nails and Luke stared at her in disbelief. He couldn't believe this woman, sitting here trying to defend her actions!  
  
"But it wasn't the whole story."  
  
Lorelai folded her arms across her chest, and Luke recognized a look of defiance that exactly matched the one Rory had shown him last night when refusing to call her mother. She spoke the words slowly and deliberately. "That was all I knew was true."  
  
That was it! How could she be so thick headed? Even Luke had recognized the truth when he'd finally heard it last night. Lorelai had had this information for two months now and she was still refusing to acknowledge it even the slightest bit. Well, he couldn't just sit here patiently waiting for her to let go of her pride anymore. It was too late to forget what he knew, what she needed to figure out, and fast.  
  
Rory and Jess were teenagers in love, and they needed a hell of a lot more supervision than Luke could impose on their late-night encounters in the woods, not to mention things he didn't know about. Plus, who would be there to give them advice when they were fighting... or worse yet, when they weren't? Luke nearly blushed at the thought, his feeling of urgency only growing. Lorelai needed to come to terms with it all so she could be there for Rory. The girl was going to need it, and Luke knew that he wasn't exactly the right parental figure for the job.  
  
His frustration just exploded as he replayed last night's diner scene; only this time he was the one causing the revelations. "God Lorelai, are you really that dense? Why do you think it was that Michaels put his neck out keeping them from actually getting legally arrested? Why do you think that all we had to do was sign for them? For God's sakes, Lorelai, open up your eyes! It was New York City, the cops there aren't going to give a pair of night-roving teenagers a break like that unless they had a damn good reason. Did you ever think of any of that? No! You were too busy convincing yourself that Jess-"  
  
"Stop it!"  
  
The desperate yelp silenced Luke's tirade. He remained silent and watched her quivering body shake with unreleased stress. She ducked her head, holding her hands firmly over her ears. Luke approached the figure, lowering his face down to where she could see it. When he spoke, his tone was no longer irate and accusing, but hadn't lost its conviction.  
  
"Stop what? Stop telling you what you don't want to hear? Stop telling the truth?"  
  
Her head snapped up and Luke could see the tears shining in her eyes as she screamed at him. "Stop yelling at me! I can't handle this... not from you too." With that, she broke down sobbing onto the counter top. At the sight of Lorelai in such disarray, all remaining anger fled from Luke's body, and he quickly rushed around the counter to put him arms around her.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Stroking her hair with his hands, he apologized over and over again.  
  
Finally, after nearly fifteen minutes she regained her composure, at which point she pulled her head up off the counter and looked at him with her swollen eyes. The she uttered the last two words he'd ever expected to hear come out of her mouth.  
  
"You're right."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jess felt like they'd only been in his room for a few minutes when a loud crash outside in the alley interrupted them. Annoyed, he was about to resume activities when he realized that the noise was that of the weekly delivery trucks. The delivery trucks that come every Friday at ten am-  
  
A slight whelp below him told Jess that Rory had caught sight of the clock on his nightstand.  
  
"Shit Rory, I'm so... I had no idea what time it-" Giddy laughter interrupted him, and Jess suddenly realized he'd been too busy apologizing to notice that she was displaying no signs of anger.  
  
"I think I missed my bus." She managed to choke the sentence out between giggles, reaching for her scattered clothing.  
  
Jess raised an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic response, inquiring, "Now who are you and what have you done with the real Rory Gilmore?" His skeptical response only caused her to giggling to intensify.  
  
"Oh she's here, but she's lacking about seven hours of sleep and three cups of coffee. Don't worry, I'll be plenty upset with you for making me miss class once I wake up."  
  
Having finished dressing, Jess approached Rory seductively. "So you're asleep right now?"  
  
"Maybe..." She grinned up at him.  
  
"So then this is a dream?" Placing his hands on her hips and pulling her closer to him, Jess began to trail kisses all along her neck.  
  
"Mmmmm...." Her eyelids fluttered shut and Rory felt herself starting to melt into him again. "...Jess...."  
  
"Yeah?" He was in control now, and loving every second of it. Jess moved his mouth onto hers, and the two started falling back onto the bed when there was another loud crash outside the door. Their lids popped open and they looked at each other with alarm.  
  
"Jess Mariano... you might be more trouble than you're worth." With that, she resumed her laughing and quickly slipped out the window and down the ladder, maintaining one step ahead of him the entire time. "Now are you going to give me a ride to school, or am I going to have to miss an entire day?"  
  
"Well... I do have a few classes of my own to get to, you know..." Jess ran his hand through his hair, shooting her his most obnoxious smile.  
  
Wordlessly, he made his way over to the bike and sat down, shaking his head when she scooted up so that the space between them was nonexistent. Then, feeling her nails scrape against his side, he turned his head around to inform her how close dangerous that sort of behavior could be on a motorcycle, more than surprised to find a cocky smile fashioning on her lips.  
  
"So... how fast does this thing go?"  
  
At that, he smirked. Maybe she knew exactly what kind of impact she had on him. Revving the engine, he peeled out of the alley, leaving a distinctive trail of skid marks behind them. The adrenalized laughter accompanied by a bite to his earlobe only caused Jess to speed up further, tossing a few words back over his shoulder.  
  
"And they call me a trouble-maker."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"What?"  
  
Lorelai watched as Luke nearly jumped out of his skin, or rather tried to. She was pretty sure he would've succeeded if that was even remotely possible. Not that she blamed him, after all her admission had come only after an he'd given up the task of guilting her, when he'd taken up apologizing and consoling. Definitely not the time you expect someone to admit they're wrong. But expectations had never done much for Lorelai.  
  
She waved her hands as if holding a white flag of surrender, tears quickly drying in her eyes. "I've been unfair. And even though I don't really like Jess that much, I guess don't know enough about him to forbid Rory from seeing him. Maybe they weren't lying; maybe... maybe he's changing." She smiled tightly up at Luke's shocked face. "After all, he's got you as a role model, right?" Seeing the blush creep onto Luke's face, she quickly changed the subject. "Not that admitting I'm wrong is going to help."  
  
"Why not?" She smiled at the concern in his tone. Comforting Luke was definitely her favorite; she was grateful that for the support his strong arms wrapped around her provided. Snuggling in deeper, she tried to explain.  
  
"Rory is just so angry with me... I really don't want the two of us to end up like my mother and I."  
  
Luke pulled himself to arms length from Lorelai so he could look at her. "You and Rory have a great relationship, even if things are a little stressed right now. Talk to her. Trust her to make her own decisions, and I'll bet you anything things will be back to normal in no time. Or whatever it is that you two call normal." Earning a wry smile from her, he started to pull away.  
  
Stopping him, Lorelai pulled him back into her arms for a long, comforting hug. She squeezed him tightly and buried her head in his strong shoulder. "I knew there was a reason I put up with you."  
  
"You put up with me?" Luke cracked a smile as he released her, suddenly a little embarrassed of the close proximity they'd been in.  
  
Lorelai coughed as the logical part of her brain realized the same thing. "Right... well, I guess I should get going. Maybe Sookie can help me figure out a way to distract my mother tonight..." She trailed off as she looked up at Luke's face. A few seconds passed before he began to look uncomfortable with Starefest 2002.  
  
"What?" He began patting his face, obviously concerned there was something stuck there.  
  
"I am a genius!" The exclamation was far more exuberant than her former mood and Luke began shaking his head in alarm.  
  
"No way Lorelai." But his claims were too late. The idea had already been formulated, and there was no way Lorelai was going to give up on it now.  
  
"How can you say no when you don't have any idea what I was going to say?"  
  
"Because when you get that look on your face, nothing good is coming. And besides, I do know what you were going to say and there is no way I'm purposefully exposing myself to something that causes you to show up here every Friday night begging to be shot in the head."  
  
"Come on. You said you wanted to help." Her tone went to whiny as she leaned over the counter, their more typical banter resuming.  
  
"I actually don't remember saying that, but even if I did that was when I thought you were going to whine about it and leave. See how that works? You go, I stay." Luke pointed firmly at his floor and Lorelai smiled widely. He was already weakening; she could sense it.  
  
"But Luke..."  
  
"No."  
  
"I need..."  
  
"No."  
  
"I can't..."  
  
"There's no more discussing this. There is no way I'm going to dinner with you at your mother's house; two generations of Gilmores is already more than I can handle."  
  
Lorelai got quiet for a second, multitudes of persuasion swimming in her head. Then suddenly, she lifted his eyes up to meet his, a serious look covering her features. She knew an offer that he would surely be incapable of turning down. "What if you had help?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Crossing his arms over his chest, Luke narrowed his eyes. Lorelai sighed in response. He wasn't going to make this easy.  
  
Using her most convincing smile, she spoke the words that she would have never imagined coming out of her mouth. "You could bring Jess."  
  
The immediate response made her roll her eyes. The man was persistent. "I thought you didn't want him around Rory."  
  
"And I thought you said I should try to get to know him better before I make up my mind about him."  
  
"Well, yeah, but..." And that 'but' was all Lorelai needed. Jumping to her feet, she looked ready to fling her arms around him as she hopped up and down.  
  
"See! This is perfect. With you and Jess there, my mom will be too busy to notice if there's anything off between me and Rory! Oh Luke! You're the best! Thanks! Gotta run! We'll be here at seven to pick you two up, see you then!"  
  
With that she was out the door, a victorious smile covering her face.  
  
"Bye." He answered softly as he watched her walk out of the diner; then, moving back behind the counter, adjusting the position of his hat. When the bell on the door jingled, he turned around to meet the sincere eyes of Lorelai Gilmore.  
  
"By the way, thank you." Then she was gone, leaving Luke resting his head on the counter. He didn't know whether to smile or punch a mirror. Here he was lecturing Lorelai for not telling him everything she knew about Rory and Jess while he was doing the exact same thing. And when he'd been holding her, comforting her... he groaned out loud at the guilt that had racked his body.  
  
Even though he knew it was for the best, Luke didn't know how long he could keep it up.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
an - so in order to fix this terrible procrastinator gene i've got goin' on, i've decided i should implement some sort of reward system... oh! i know, lots and lots of reviews! :) 


	9. Facing Up

09 - Facing Up  
  
Rory appraised her classroom's doorknob uncertainly. She was coming into third period late, and at Chilton, the second she opened that door she would become the subject of a thousand curious glances, even more unwanted questions, and by the end of the day there would be a good half a dozen stories circulating as to why she had been late coming into Mr. Medina's English lit class.  
  
She groaned and pushed the door open and quickly made her way towards her seat in the front of the room. Mr. Medina gave her a curious look, but avoided asking her any questions as she speedily began taking notes off of the board.  
  
Rory could feel Paris' glare on her as she stubbornly avoided the icy looks coming from the seat to her left. She and Paris had planned to meet that morning before school so they could discuss their platform for the debate coming up two weeks from Saturday, and it was a well-known fact that Paris didn't like being stood up. Ducking down in her seat, Rory mentally planned a number of different escape routes from the room. It would be very helpful, not to mention safer, to give Paris some cooling-down time before their imminent confrontation, or rather one-sided bitch-fest.  
  
She continued to plot her escape as she mindlessly copied off the board. Yes, she was scared of Paris and not afraid to admit it. Rory was sure that even Attila the Hun would've be fearsome of the wrath of Paris. But before she could finish her strategizing, that damn bell was ringing and she had Louise gripping her elbow while Madeline hovered over the other shoulder.  
  
"Not so fast there, Sandy. We can't let you leave yet... not until we find out who exactly that dark haired guy was that dropped you off is."  
  
"Is he as hot up close as he was from the windows?"  
  
"And what was he doing with you?"  
  
Rory lowered her head, trying to fight the blush spreading over her cheeks as the girls barraged her with questions.  
  
"Is that your boyfriend?"  
  
Taking advantage of the embarrassment, Louise finished in the seductive tone that only she had mastered, "And most importantly, what exactly were you and motorcycle boy doing that made you so late?"  
  
Rory sighed, unconvincingly mumbling, "It was just a guy from my town. I've got to get to class." Rory struggled out of the girls' grips only to run face to face with Paris Gellar. And not just any Paris Gellar, an angry Paris.  
  
"No really Rory, I think we'd all like to hear what was so important about Ponyboy that you couldn't bother gracing us with your presence until now."  
  
"Paris..." Rory searched desperately for an escape, but luck was just not on her side today as Paris seemed to be everywhere with that cynical, irate tone.  
  
"Come on Rory, I think we all deserve to know if some leather clad motorcycle driving madman is corrupting our sweet and innocent..."  
  
Grabbing Paris by the arm, Rory dragged her out into the hallway and into an empty classroom. "Listen, I'm sorry that I was late this morning Paris, but I have a good reason."  
  
"I'll be the judge of that." Paris stood with her arms folded over her chest, eyes narrowed crossly.  
  
"Can't you just trust me for once? I've had a bad morning, and I don't need this right now, okay?" Rory pleaded with the girl and watched gratefully as her face softened... a little.  
  
"Fine. But you do realize that we aren't leaving this school tonight until I'm satisfied with your performance, right?"  
  
Knowing that was the best she would get from Paris, Rory smiled widely at the girl. "Okay. And thank you."  
  
Uncomfortable with the friendly exchange, Paris rolled her eyes. "Right. Just don't forget this time. You, me, after school, library." The girl turned around towards the hallway, intending to leave Rory behind when she halted suddenly and turned full circle, the suspicious look of the journalist within covering her features. "What is going on here with you? That is not the smile of a girl that has had a bad morning." Paris grabbed Rory's elbow to stop her retreat.  
  
Squirming to get away, Rory tried desperately to hide the ever-growing smile on her face. She had done her best to distract Paris from the reason she was late, and there was no way that Rory was going to let it slip now. Grabbing her arm in a show of pain, Rory started whining. "What are you, some sort of death grip master? That hurts."  
  
Unaffected by the complaint, Paris tightening her grip on the girl's arm and looked closely at the girl's glowing face. "Why are you so happy?"  
  
"I'm not. I have to get to class Paris." Rory tried to push her way past the girl, but the other girl held tight to her arm.  
  
"Oh yes, you are very happy. It's Mr. Motorcycle that has you grinning so hard this morning?" Paris questioned the girl and Rory's smile only grew wider. Then the warning bell rang and Paris was momentarily distracted. Taking advantage, Rory slipped out of the grasp and took off down the hall.  
  
"Gotta get to class, Paris. I'll see you after school." Rory was still smiling as she floated down the hallway.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lorelai swerved the jeep into her parking spot and pulled up the brake in one fluid movement. She needed to talk to someone, and she needed to talk now. After that scene at the diner, Lorelai was more confused than ever. And as much as she hated to admit it, it wasn't over the Rory/Jess situation.  
  
Running her hands through her hair before opening the door to the inn, Lorelai remembered the way Luke had held her as she cried and the way she'd felt immediately comforted. Something about it had just felt so... so right. And when he'd pulled away, she had felt cold. All Lorelai had been able to think about was pulling him back to her and not letting go.  
  
So she'd invited him to her mom's house. No, she hadn't just invited him, she'd begged and pleaded and practically forced him into going with her for a night of hell. And not just him, she'd invited Jess along too! She must really be going nuts. Even though, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that having Jess along might actually be a good idea. A gesture like that on her part might help smooth things over with Rory. And not to mention the added bonus that maybe, just maybe, after a night with Emily Gilmore, Jess would forget all about his previous interest in Rory.  
  
The thought made Lorelai smile. If only Jess weren't a factor. She'd liked the way things were with Dean: quiet and innocent. Now that was a boy a mother could trust. Lorelai sighed; why did things have to change? First Rory and Dean, now her and Luke?  
  
"Arghhh!" Lorelai scared a few customers away from the front desk with her outburst. What was her problem? Luke's touches weren't supposed to feel like that... but they had. She'd never felt so alive before. All she'd wanted to do was grab him and-  
  
So she'd ran. She'd gotten the hell out of there. And then the thinking had began. The entire walk towards the car. The whole drive over here. She couldn't stop thinking about it, about him. Lorelai sighed in frustration, rounding the corner towards the one place she knew she would find comfort.  
  
"Sookie, Sookie..." Lorelai sprinted into the inn's kitchen at top speed, calling her friend's name as she entered; the second she entered the room though, she burst into laughter at the sight that greeted her.  
  
Sookie was standing with her entire arm in a bucket of what Lorelai could only assume was pancake syrup. The rest of the frazzled woman's body was covered in flour as she tried to keep her balance on the thickly coated floor. Yet, upon Lorelai's desperate entrance, Sookie had completely disregarded all this and was staring at her friend with complete concern.  
  
"Honey! What is it?"  
  
Lorelai was already forgetting her own problems as she inquired, "Oh my god, Sookie! What are you doing?"  
  
"Oh... well, I was going to make waffles for breakfast this morning, but we were out of powdered sugar and I like to sprinkle just a little powdered sugar on waffles, so I decided to make pancakes instead. And so there I was, just stirring the batter and playing with my engagement ring." Sookie momentarily paused her detailed re-enactment of the events to look at Lorelai honestly, "And I know I'm not supposed to wear it in the kitchen, but I just couldn't bring myself to take it off. It looks so good on my hand and all- all sparkly and gold, and you know what a hard time Jackson had fi- " The redhead was beginning to ramble and Lorelai interrupted the tirade.  
  
"Sookie, can we fast-forward this story just a little?"  
  
"Right! So anyways, I got a little bit of flour on the ring and when I tried to wipe it off, I accidently dropped it into the flour bin. Then I panicked and dumped it all out onto the floor and dug around until I found the ring. But when I tried to stand up, the flour made the floor so slippery that I fell down and the ring flew out of my hands, and I don't know where it went!" Sookie finished the story with a wail and removed her arm from the pancake syrup, flopping onto the floor miserably.  
  
"Oh Sookie..." Lorelai took a second to appraise the disheveled kitchen, gingerly stepping onto the floured floor towards her friend. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll find it. And when we do, we'll- " Realizing a second too late how serious Sookie had been about the unsteady state of the floor, Lorelai went pitching forward, landing face first in the muck and causing Sookie to cry out in horror.  
  
"Oh Lorelai! I'm so...Eeek!" Suddenly the pitch of the woman's voice changed and she began sliding forward on the floor. "Lorelai! Don't move!"  
  
"I'm breathing in flour dust here, Sook. I gotta move."  
  
"Just a second... just a second... okay! Move!" The woman shouted the command cheerfully as she slipped the almost unrecognizable ring onto her equally white hand. "Oh Lorelai, you really are the best. You found it!"  
  
"I'm better than I thought." Lorelai had turned around and was now sitting in the muck, staring at her half-syruped friend smiling gleefully through her flour coated eyelashes. "And here I thought all I did was fall down."  
  
"But when you fell, you uncovered it and I saw it land right in between your feet. And now it's back where it belongs! Ohhh, and it looks so good. Better than ever, doesn't it?"  
  
Lorelai fought a smile at the sight of the thickly coated ring and ring finger before responding. "Perfect, Sookie. And I'm really happy for you, I am. So don't think I'm being insensitive when I ask you this, but have you considered what we're going to serve for breakfast now that we have no flour and no syrup?" Lorelai watched the woman's face contract in horror.  
  
"Ohno! I don't know! Lorelai, what are we going to do?" She began sliding her way across the floor towards the inn's pantry. "All we have left is potatoes! I can't make an entire breakfast with potatoes!"  
  
Lorelai laughed out loud as she laid back in the powdery substance, moving her arms and legs in attempts at making a snow angel, or more appropriately 'flour angel'. Any other day, she would be panicking right along with Sookie, running out to the market to get last-minute groceries. But not today. Today she was grateful for the distraction.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
ie- at the beginning of the chapter, Madeline calls Rory 'Sandy'- most of you probably recognized that as a grease reference, you know the corrupted good girl. But also Paris refers to Jess as 'Ponyboy' - that's the kid from The Outsiders. Just thought you guys might like to know that.  
  
Next chapter will have more Jess in it, i promise... i already have it written... so as soon as i get a good number of reviews, i post. (like that bribery?) 


	10. Forget Regret

A/n - just to clarify, I've had a lot of questions about the 'status' of Rory and Jess' relationship; no, they're not sleeping together...yet. :)  
  
and another thing, I'm getting a lot of anti-Lorelai reviews, and I was just wondering if she's coming off all that bad. I don't intend for her to be anything other than a concerned mother; is it too much? Hopefully this chapter will help with that.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
10 - Swallowing My Pride  
  
"You can do this. Just walk in there and smile. Everything else will be the same. This morning didn't change anything." Lorelai was mumbling to herself as she paced in front of the diner. Glancing in the open windows for the fifteenth time in the last ten minutes, Lorelai noted that Luke was still nowhere in sight. "Maybe he ran away from home to join the circus." Without thinking, she theorized aloud as she once again approached the door. "Cub-napped a defenseless little lion and skipped town in his pick- up. Right now he's probably speeding down route seventy in hot pursuit of the Ringling Brothers- "  
  
"Talking to the doorknob?" A voice behind her made Lorelai jump about five feet off the ground, and she turned angrily towards the smirking culprit, "Cause fair warning here; I tried it last week and the damn thing is just really antisocial."  
  
Unable to decide whether she was embarrassed or annoyed at the youth's presence, she retorted, "Why aren't you in school?"  
  
Shrugging noncommittaly, Jess started into the diner without another word. Lorelai, irritated by his evasion, followed suit.  
  
"Did you pass every class there and have been sent home with a certificate stating that you've learned all there is to know, and you must now spend your time inflicting said knowledge on the rest of the world?" Sarcasm dripped from her voice as Lorelai trailed behind the teen.  
  
"Nope." Another uninspired response found Jess at the foot of the stairs, heading upwards.  
  
"Well, if you're not out of things to learn, I just don't understand why you wouldn't be at that little place most kids your age are actually learning them."  
  
"Been there, done that, got yelled at for forgetting the books." Jess turned around, obviously more than irritated with her insistence.  
  
"So you're coming back here to pick up your books?"  
  
"Sure." Jess' tone clearly implied that he had no such intention, and he couldn't help but enjoy the way the two frustrated wrinkles began forming on her brow.  
  
"Then what was the point of even bringing it up in the first place?" With her hands on her hips, Lorelai was beginning to look more and more like her mother.  
  
"I think the point was to distract your stimulating conversation with the doorknob as to Luke's imaginable career goals." Jess smirked at her, pleased with the embarrassed blush spreading over her cheeks. "Speaking of which... I think I see the lion tamer exiting Doose's right now, and that would be my cue to get out of here. Later." With that, Jess turned towards the stairwell. But he didn't get very far because, before she knew it, Lorelai was stopping him... again.  
  
"Hey, Jess."  
  
Not turning around, he stalled his movements, the words coming over his shoulder. "You need something?"  
  
Sighing, she swallowed the pride that was stubbornly anchored in her chest and spoke. "Listen... I was thinking maybe you and I should, uh... start over."  
  
Lorelai would've been tempted to laugh if it hadn't been for the pit of nerves building in her stomach. Jess' jaw was hanging a full inch below it's normal location as he spun around to face her.  
  
"Start over?"  
  
"Yeah... you know, 'Hi, I'm Lorelai; I hear you're new to Star's Hollow." Lorelai couldn't help but tense her jaw as she spoke. It would still be a while before she could forget what he had done to Rory, but at least she was willing to try. Holding out her hand, she watched Jess consider her extended hand.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like a century, he reached his own palm outwards, grasping hers tightly and saying, "Yeah, I've heard a lot about you..." Releasing her hand and glancing at the window behind her, Jess smirked as he added, "...but for now, I'll leave you and the Lone Ringling Brother alone."  
  
And before she could digest what had just happened, he was gone . Turning around, she was plagued with a whole new set of butterflies as she watched Luke enter the door. Lorelai suddenly remembered what she was here for.  
  
"Okay... here goes. Just remember... they can smell fear."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"You're late."  
  
Rory glanced down at her watch which read exactly two minutes until three. "No I'm not."  
  
"Yes, you are. I said to meet me here after school and school has been out for exactly seven... no, eight minutes." Paris gestured towards the large clock on the wall and Rory rolled her eyes.  
  
"And I suppose it's pointless to argue with you over the fact that I can't just snap my fingers and magically transport myself here at the exact second the bell rings?" Knowing the answer, Rory trudged towards the table Paris had somehow, in less than eight minutes time, managed to cover with carefully laid out folders and research materials.  
  
"So I thought we'd start by reviewing all our info and then move on to the videos I got of Easton Reed's past debates. They are good, Rory. Much stiffer competition than Br..." Paris stopped talking when she realized Rory wasn't listening. The girl was staring longingly at the clock hanging on the wall. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Oh... uh, nothing Paris." Forcing her line of sight away from the clock, Rory looked at her partner pleadingly. "Do we really have to review all that again? I'm already scarred for life. It's unhealthy for a girl to know this much about euthanasia."  
  
"If that's how you feel, maybe I need to find myself another partner, one with more commitment. One who cares about beating those guys over at Easton Reed. One who actually comes to school every now and then." Paris was getting angrier by the second. "Seriously Rory, what is going on with you?"  
  
"Nothing is 'going on with me', Paris. I just have a lot of things on my mind." Avoiding the prodding gaze set on her, Rory began arranging papers on the desk.  
  
"More important than winning this debate and making it to the finals?" Her tone was incredulous and Rory couldn't fight a smile from nudging the corners of her lips up.  
  
"As shocking as it may be, there are more important things than debate finals. And despite all your foregoing assumptions, I do actually have a life outside of this school."  
  
Placing her hands on her hips, Paris moved in closer before hissing in Rory's face. "Are you implying that I don't?"  
  
"Paris, you know that's not what I meant, I was only..." Rory sighed impatiently as she searched for the right words to smooth down Paris' easily ruffled feathers. "I was just saying-"  
  
"That's right, I forgot. Insulting people is against the Girl Scout Code, isn't it? We wouldn't want you getting in trouble with troop leaders Donna or Bitty; they might make you miss reading to the blind orphans this week."  
  
Exasperated enough over her own problems, Rory just sighed at Paris' latest attempt to pick a fight. She just really wasn't in the mood to deal with this. Deciding that Paris was going to fight whether she grovelled or not, Rory turned her back on the girl. "Actually, you know what? I changed my mind. That was exactly what I meant." Rory stared defiantly into the angry brown eyes as she continued, "Honestly, when was the last time you did something that wasn't school related, Paris?"  
  
A second passed where the girl in question just stared at Rory with an indecipherable look in her eye. Then, quickly recovering, Paris resumed her dictatorial demeanor. "That, Rory Gilmore, is none of your business. And don't think for a second that I don't see what you're trying to do. Use reverse psychology so I get mad and kick you out so you can go home and see your motorcycle riding boyfriend."  
  
"I don't want to go home Paris. I need to go get something, and I'm running out of time." Rory bit her tongue on the last words, cursing herself for letting that part slip. She didn't want to tell Paris the real reason why she was so distracted.  
  
But Paris could always be counted on to catch each and every detail. "Something. How astoundingly specific of you." Rolling her eyes, the girl frowned at Rory's frazzled expression.  
  
"Don't be sarcastic, Paris. It's important."  
  
"And maybe if I grasped the importance of this 'something' it would be a different story, but unfortunately I am preoccupied by the overwhelmingly important debate coming up in TWO WEEKS that my partner seems to care NOTHING about." Paris was getting loud and Rory glanced nervously at the three students at the next table shooting them dirty looks. Sighing, she realized that there was no way Paris was going to let this go until she found out what it was.  
  
Pulling her over towards the stacks, Rory whispered feverishly. "If I tell you what's so important, you have to promise not to tell anyone else. NOBODY." The intensity in the normally easygoing girl's tone intrigued Paris' internal journalist and the girl quickly agreed.  
  
"Of course. But I'm warning you, just because you tell me doesn't mean I'm letting you leave."  
  
"Okay..." Rory paused and took a deep breath before spitting the words out rapid fire. "Last night was Jess and my two month anniversary and we said that we weren't going to get each other gifts. But he went and bought me a second edition Hemingway book AND this gorgeous necklace and all I did was show up. So I have to go get him something so I can avoid the title of 'most terrible girlfriend on the planet'. AND I have to buy and deliver the gift to him before seven o'clock when I have to be at home to leave for my grandmother's dumb dinner." Finishing it all in one breath, the brunette looked curiously at the astounded girl in front of her. It wasn't everyday one struck Paris Gellar speechless.  
  
A few second passed and Paris regained her poise. "Jess, as in mac and cheese dinner boy Jess, is your boyfriend?"  
  
Rory fidgeted uncomfortably as she worked up the courage to meet Paris' prodding eyes. "Yeah."  
  
"For two months? How could I not have known this?" Her tone was curt and unemotional, typical Paris. Strangely enough, it calmed Rory's nerves to see that Paris wasn't overly disturbed by the revelation.  
  
"It's a secret. Even my mom and Lane don't know." Smiling conspiratorially at the blonde, Rory reveled in the how great it felt to tell someone about Jess, finally. "And Luke just found out last night."  
  
"Wow." Paris paused and stared at the girls' table, heaped with research somewhat regretfully. Finally, she let out a deep breath and offered a tiny smile. "So do you know what you're getting him?"  
  
Rory's smile widened as she took in the meaning of Paris' words. "Yeah! I mean, no! Or actually, I think so, but I need to go to a few places and check prices and time frames and stuff." Rory was already packing up her backpack as she spoke.  
  
"Well... I suppose we could work on this Monday. It's not like you're going to be very useful this afternoon." The surly tone disappeared as Paris spoke again, avoiding eye contact. "So... do you need a ride? Cause if you don't mind some company..."  
  
"I'm pretty sure I know which bus goes in that direct..." Rory trailed off as she realized what Paris was asking. The earlier accusation must've had a more dramatic effect than she'd expected. "Oh! Would you mind coming along? I'm really terrible making decisions on my own and a second opinion would be fantastic." Rory finally finished clearing the table and turned around to see Paris already heading out the door.  
  
"So I was thinking we could go towards the South Mall, because it's the closest to your house and they have some of the best-stocked and affordable prices around..." Paris' voice trailed off as she disappeared around the corner.  
  
Rory grinned at her friend's back and hurried to catch up.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
okay, i know it took forever, but i totally thought i had posted ten, and it wasn't until i got this urge to work on 11 that i realized i hadn't. i know, i know, ::ducks the flying vegetables:: but in order to make up for that i'm making the next chapter VERY literati, AND i'm posting it tomorrow. yay! so u guys love me again, right?  
  
okay, so until then, feel free to let me know what u thought of this chapter.... that is, review! 


	11. All For You

11 - All For You  
  
"Now what on earth took you so long?"  
  
Jess was just entering his room when a familiar voice startled him. Glancing towards the sound, he stumbled backwards at the sight of Rory laying on his bed.  
  
"How- how did you get in here?" He was looking around for a possible entrance while she grinned mischievously.  
  
"A lady never tells her secrets." She said as she gestured towards the open window.  
  
"If I recall correctly, I locked that window this afternoon when I got home from school. That means somebody," Jess enunciated the word, looking pointedly at Rory, "had to of unlocked it. And judging from that extremely proud look on your face, I'm guessing 'the lady' has added lock-picking to her ever-growing list of skills."  
  
Lifting her chin audaciously, Rory retorted, "Just one of the many things my hoodlum boyfriend has educated me in."  
  
"Hoodlum? Now I take offense to that." The look on his face told her otherwise and she continued their banter with a smirk of her own.  
  
"What makes you think I was talking about you?"  
  
"Hmm... maybe that necklace you've got all twisted around your finger?" He raised an eyebrow at her unconscious action and she grinned outwardly.  
  
"Could be." Rory's grin widened as she looked up at Jess. "Speaking of..." As she spoke, she lifted her left hand into view, where a silver keyring that was much too large for her thumb was residing, a distinctive silver glint shining amongst the dingy keys.. Jess showed no emotion as he responded. "Uh... what the hell is that?"  
  
"Well... with an attitude like that, I may just not give it to you at all." Rory made a move toward the window and Jess quickly captured her waist from behind, spinning her around to face him as he spoke.  
  
"Not so fast. Now let's see this... and it had better be good, since it is kinda late for an anniversary gift."  
  
He snatched it from her finger and brought the thing closer to his face, focusing first on the sterling silver cross that very closely resembled her necklace. He flipped it over, looking for the words that she had without a doubt had inscribed on it. And sure enough, in a fairly large script, were the words '...this kind of certainty comes only once'.  
  
His initial playfulness was gone as he looked at her, "Rory..."  
  
"Don't thank me yet." Rory gestured for him to come sit by her. Then, reaching for the keys he continued to hold, she touched each one in turn. "Well, I'm sure you recognize those two: your motorcycle and the diner. But this one is for my car. And these two are my house keys- front and back. And this one..." Rory touched the small gold key, "well, this one is the key for that bottom drawer of my desk, you know the one I told you was personal..." Rory trailed off, not knowing what else to say, her eyes locked on Jess, gauging his reaction to her gift.  
  
Jess continued to stare at the keychain, feeling like anything he said would cheapen the gesture. She had just given him, quite literally, the keys to every aspect of her life.  
  
"I know it's not much, but I didn't think you were much of a jewelry guy, and I know you don't wear watches, which is the usu-" She sounded slightly nervous and Jess recognized the signs of forthcoming rambling, so he quickly interrupted her.  
  
"It's perfect."  
  
Relieved that he liked it, Rory smiled cheekily at him. "Funny, that's what I said about mine." Then, taking the keys from his hand and placing them on his night stand, she asked, "Now, are you going to kiss me or not? Because I only have a few hours before I have to go home and get ready for dinner."  
  
"Yeah, me too."  
  
"What?" Raising his eyebrows at her astonishment, Jess feigned ignorance.  
  
"Didn't your mother tell you? She invited Luke and I to dinner at your grandma's tonight."  
  
"First of all, you ought to know I haven't been home yet tonight. And secondly, are you serious? She invited you? For real?" Rory's tone perked up at the notion.  
  
Still as unsure as to how to react to the newly arisen situation, Jess settled on his most reliable standby, sarcasm. "Yeah, apparently she's realized that just maybe she's been a tad hasty in her judgements; she offered to start over." Jess paused again as Rory's eyes widened. He could almost feel the excitement radiating off of her, an unsure smile playing on her lips. And he understood it, he really did; if he and Lorelai could get along, she would be able to stop the stressful sneaking around and just enjoy their relationship.  
  
And one look at the hope in Rory's eyes did Jess in. He knew that he'd do anything for her happiness, even if it meant swallowing his pride and sucking up to a judgmental woman that hated him. Smiling, Jess added, "I guess having us go to dinner was her way of offering the olive branch."  
  
"More like an olive twig." Rory humphed and Jess glanced down, slightly bewildered by her sudden change in demeanor. This was what she wanted, right?  
  
Noting his confusion, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "You have heard the many, many tales depicting the horrors of the Gilmore Friday dinners before, right?"  
  
"But this time I'll be there to ensure things run smoothly." A cocky smile accompanied the comment and Rory shook her head in pity.  
  
"Well Mariano... at the very least, I'm sure you'll make it an interesting night." Rory grinned, and pulled his mouth down towards her.  
  
Before their lips met, he pulled back with a teasing smile. "And the same goes for this afternoon, I'm sure."  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
an - yes, short and sweet, i know. but what can u expect from a chapter of pure fluff? lol. anyways, it was kinda necessary, you know, outlining the calm before the storm... b/c next chapter the four Stars Hollow residents brave Fridday dinner, and everybody knows Emily+Lorelai+Jess always equals one hell of a storm. :) 


	12. The Way It Is

a/n - i know, i know; how big of a shock is me actually updating this story?! i apologize and accept all blame for the delay, it's just that i've had a hard time writing jess fiction this semester; they've been writing him as so out of character on the actual show, i've just been struggling with keeping him in character... since he obviously has NO definite personality on the show. sorry, but they just piss me off. it's like, he made all this progress throughout season 2, and then all of a sudden, spin-off time, and he's the same completely unreliable guy that showed up 2 years ago!? Stupid WB.  
  
So anyways, ranting aside, i decided i wasn't going to let their stupid characterization get me off track with MY jess. cuz we all know he's tons better than the regressive jess on tv now. :) and he deserves some real attention.  
  
all earlier disclaimers apply.  
  
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* one star designates a change of perspective within the same scene.  
  
12 - The Way It Is  
  
"We're going to be late!" Rory went flying around the corner as she searched for her missing jacket. Where could the damn thing be?  
  
"Maybe if you'd gotten home with more than ten minutes to get ready." Lorelai's irritated voice came down the stairs as she tossed the missing article of clothing over the banister.  
  
Rory picked up the jacket and threw it on before she turned her face up to address the woman sprinting down the stairs. "Oh please mom, I distinctly remember seeing the jeep pass me at the end of the block, so you couldn't have been here more than two minutes earlier than me."  
  
"But my dear daughter, that sort of behavior is expected from me. You, on the other hand," Lorelai opened the front door and pushed her daughter out onto the porch, not ceasing her flow of conversation at all. "are usually the steadying force in my Friday night routine, having my clothes laid on the bed and hurrying me along. You are not supposed to be just as late."  
  
Rory rolled her eyes at her mom's back while responding, "Don't give me that. You're just upset that I was at the diner without you there to chaperone. Speaking of. I heard you invited Jess tonight." Rory hoped her tone sounded casual, though she doubted it. It had been a long time since she'd been able to say Jess' name without a kind of softness in her voice.  
  
Lorelai shot her an annoyed look at she peeled out of the driveway and headed into town. "Moment of insanity."  
  
Rory returned the annoyed glance as she responded tritely, "And here I was thinking you'd seen how unreasonable you'd been."  
  
"And I show this by throwing him to the wolves? Hardly." Lorelai laughed at the thought of Jess and her mother in the same room. "But I guess it's a second chance. If he can get through a night at the Gilmore Friday night dinner without causing a major catastrophe, then I'll think about it."  
  
"And if you're the one who causes the catastrophe?" Rory spoke bitterly and avoided looking at her mother as they swerved into the parking spot outside the diner. She was about to get out of the car when a hand touched her arm. Turning to see the her mother's face set in a rare expression of vulnerability, she paused in her action.  
  
"Can we call a truce?" Lorelai's eyes sparkled with sincerity and Rory couldn't help but feel a surge of hope at the sight. When she didn't respond, Lorelai sighed and continued. "I'll admit that it's possible I judged Jess a little too quickly if you admit that it's possible I'm not entirely to blame for that?"  
  
Rory smiled tenderly at the gesture. She knew how much it took for her mom to admit she could be wrong. "Okay, I guess it wasn't all your fault." Rory sighed, already feeling the tension seeping out of her body as she worked up the courage to meet her mother's eyes and ask, "So you're gonna be nice to him?"  
  
Lorelai shook her head at her daughter's persistence. "You never stopped liking him, did you?"  
  
Shock went through her body as Rory tried to decide how to answer that question. The truthful answer was simple; she'd fallen more in love with him everyday. but she obviously couldn't tell her mother that. She was struggling for words when a tapping on the window of the jeep interrupted the conversation.  
  
"So are you two ready or did you just want us to hang out here for a while?" Luke's voice came through window. Rory smiled at the sight of the two waiting men and swiftly leapt out of the jeep so they could climb in, all the time reveling in gratitude that she had been spared answering her mother's question.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Don't touch that doorbell." Lorelai's voice sprang up suddenly and Rory fought a smile as Luke jumped back from the button as if it were on fire.  
  
"What? Is it broken?" He looked at the button uncertainly as Lorelai began whispering conspiratorially.  
  
"No. It's a secret fingerprint scanner linked directly to the Emily Gilmore database. Once you touch it, she has you on file and then you'll be forever at the mercy of-"  
  
"Honestly Mom, your theories get more outlandish every week." Rory smiled at Luke, who had glaringly distanced himself from the doorbell in question, as she continued speaking. "Last week, it was a powerful tazer that would knock you unconscious the second you pressed it." Reaching across the porch to ring the bell herself, Rory's arm brushed Jess' chest. Lorelai, who'd been watching the pair intently the entire ride there, didn't miss the private smile exchanged between the two. Nor did she miss the way Rory's gaze dropped to her chest where a suspicious new necklace was glittering on her bare neck.  
  
Lorelai opened to her to inquire about the object when the front door was suddenly pulled opened.  
  
"Lorelai, Rory. Welcome." A crisp red headed woman appeared in the doorway, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in her suit; the smile faltering a bit when she spotted the two extra figures staring expectantly at her. "And guests? This is certainly a surprise. I wasn't anticipating extra company." She looked pointedly at Lorelai who shrugged her shoulders carelessly and proceeded to push her way through the doorway.  
  
"Sorry Mom. I guess I forgot to mention that Rory and I were kidnapped by these two horrendous thugs that kept us in a cage for the past week with nothing to eat but carrots! Luckily though, when I explained how vital it was that we have dinner with you, they agreed we could get out for just this one night, provided of course they came along. They didn't want us escaping. Sorry I didn't call." Lorelai was already in the parlor by the time she finished the melodramatic speech, leaving Emily glaring at her from the hallway.  
  
But the elder woman did her best to conceal her irritation as she remarked, "I swear to God, Lorelai. I have no idea how you got this strange."  
  
"Hey, I'm not the one locking young women up in cages."  
  
Emily rolled her eyes and decided to focus her attention on more worthy sources; Perusing the two men standing awkwardly in the hallway, Emily was shocked to realize that she recognized the elder of the two. "You're the man from the diner, right?"  
  
"Grandma, this is Luke." Rory broke into the conversation, politely introducing their guests.  
  
"Yes, Luke. Good to see you again. And who is this young man?" She turned to Rory with an air of teasing, but was baffled when Lorelai's voice came echoing in from the sitting room.  
  
"That's Jess. Luke's nephew. He just came along for the ride." Her tone was curt, and Emily decided not to press the issue.  
  
Instead, she led the trio into the parlor speaking amicably as she walked. "Well, it's nice to have all of you, even if it was unexpected."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Jess." Emily let the word hang in the air for a second before finishing her thought, "why does that name sound so familiar?" Stabbing into her salad, the woman settled her gaze on the uncomfortable looking teen sitting across from her.  
  
Jess' mind was flooded with dozens of circumstances under which Emily might have heard his name. none of them good. So, trying to remain cool, he shrugged his shoulders noncomittaly, "It's a pretty common name."  
  
But apparently that was the wrong answer, or so Jess gathered from the less- than-friendly tone he was admonished with, "I am well aware of that, young man. It just seems that I've heard that name in reference to Star's Hollow before. And to Luke." The suspicious eyes were turned on his uncle, and Jess felt a surge of relief flood this body. Emily Gilmore was even scarier than her daughter; it was a mystery where Rory had gotten her softness from.  
  
"Oh. uh. Jess just moved in with me back in September, so I'm sure Lorelai mentioned it." Luke's eyes moved briskly from Emily to the water glass and back again as he spoke, causing Jess to smother a snicker. It was nice to see someone else in the hotseat for once...  
  
"And where did you move here from, Jess?"  
  
...Short lived as it may have been.  
  
Richard spoke up from the other end of the table, giving the boy a disdainful look that mirrored the one on his wife's face a few minutes earlier.  
  
Jess turned his attention to the formally dressed man at the head of the table, a disdainful look remarkably similar to the one on his wife's face defining his features.  
  
"New York," was his excessively brusque response, but following a biting glare from the brunette seated across from him, Jess added, "Sir."  
  
Richard's reply consisted of an acknowledging nod and a noncommital return to his meal, leaving Jess feeling remarkably better about his own conversational skills. Rory's grandfather reminded him of one of those pull-string puppet/doll things. He'd cut in about every five minutes with some arbitrary comment - or in this case, question - and then just resume his silence as if nothing had happened. ...Not that it was all that shocking; Jess had determined long ago that Rory's entire family could be nothing but a random amalgamation of idiosyncrasies. Still, it was somewhat odd to see how bizarrely accurate his theory had been.  
  
The momentary silence lent Jess an opportunity to address his own dinner; however, the still untouched forkful of salad was halted halfway to Jess' mouth by that familiar prodding voice inquiring, "Oh my, a change like that, you must've felt like you'd been dropped into another world?" There was no hiding the contempt in the woman's cordiality, and Jess gave her his own tight smile as he fought the urge to roll his eyes. How did Rory put up with this superficiality and mind-numbing conversation every single week?  
  
"Just call me Dante Alig-" Jess' sarcastic grumbling was interrupted by a swift kick to the shin; a quick glance at Rory confirmed the identity of his assailant, and Jess turned back to Emily, a tight smile stretching his lips, "Oh, it's not so different really, once you get used to the people."  
  
"Or once they get used to you." Lorelai involved herself in the conversation as she continued to drag the cucumber around her plate.  
  
The comment lurched the already-strained conversation into silence as Jess clenched his jaw, holding back a return insult of his own. Instead, he speared the lettuce with much more force than necessary and filled his mouth with the tasteless salad. It was going to take a hell of a lot more than one passive-agressive comment to get Jess to break their so-called truce. Yep, Jess reaffirmed as he continued stabbing his dinner into mush, he could control his temper with the best of them. even in the presence of irrationally angry, self-absorbed, bitchy-  
  
*  
  
Rory sighed as she watched her boyfriend wage an internal battle with himself. He was doing pretty good so far; all he had to do was keep his cool for a few more minutes and it would be time for dessert. That was when Rory was planning on bringing up books. Then hopefully, her Grandpa would suggest giving Jess a tour of the library thereby separating him and her mother.  
  
Ugh. her mom. Sneaking another look at the sullen look on her mother's face as she picked at the salad, Rory wondered yet again what the woman's problem was. Ever since the relatively-friendly scene on the front porch, Lorelai had grown increasingly moody and withdrawn. There was something wrong, and Rory wasn't exactly sure what to make of it.  
  
But she didn't have much time to consider it as her grandmother abruptly reopened conversation to what she obviously thought would be a much more neutral topic.  
  
"Rory, is that a new necklace?"  
  
If only she knew how wrong she was.  
  
"Umm. yeah, it's new." Rory shot a nervous glance at her mother, who was staring suspiciously at the object. Then, as her heartbeat increased, Rory snuck a glance at Jess' face - which was, predictably, contorted in a self- satisfied smirk.  
  
"Yeah, it's not bad. Did ya pick it out yourself?"  
  
Rory couldn't help but return his private grin as she answered, "Nope. It was actually a gift."  
  
"Really? What was the occasion?" Emily Gilmore broke into the conversation, unaware of the personal undertones.  
  
"Um. the newspaper. Paris. anniversary edition." Rory could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest, and began twisting the necklace on her finger again. She really needed to work on her lying skills. Why was it so hard to come up with a story?  
  
"Oh, so Paris bought it for you?" Jess was teasing her now, and Rory fought the nervous giggles that were threatening to emerge at the idea Jess' suggestion conveyed. Before she had to answer though, Emily Gilmore again saved her.  
  
"Why are you so interested in who got her the gift? Are you involved with this Paris girl?"  
  
In response to this, Jess almost choked on his food, and Rory continued to fight giggles as she blinked innocently at him and asked, "Yeah, Jess. Is there something going on with you and Paris?" It was Rory's turn to tease him now.  
  
"I don't know. Ya think I gotta shot?" Jess' eyes sparkled mischeviously underneath his dark lashes, and Rory frowned at the sharp pang of jealousy that hit her stomach.  
  
Hiding her irritation with another smile, Rory shot back, "Well. if you want my honest opinion. you're not really her type. The last guy Paris liked was really preppy." Rory felt her irritation subside as Jess' foot sought hers out under the table, a mock look of disappointment on his face. Sometimes Jess was just too cute. Then, feigning sympathy, Rory added, "Though maybe with a haircut and a few polo shirts. Ooh! You could wear one of those little necklaces. You might look even look cute all Ambercrombied out. What do you think Grandma?"  
  
But rather than looking at her grandmother, Rory glowered victoriously at Jess' horrified expression.  
  
*  
  
Were they flirting?  
  
Lorelai hadn't quite made up her mind about the little exchange going on between her daughter and that devi- uh... Jess. Yeah, see? She could be nice. He was just Jess, Luke's quiet - although sometimes surly - nephew, someone Lorelai had no opinion of. Yep, clean slate here.  
  
"...interested in getting a girl like that. The Gellars have been around for more than a..."  
  
Taking a long swallow from her wine glass, Lorelai turned her attention off of her mother's diatribe and back towards the not-so-captivated teens. Urgh. Rory and those doe-eyes. Following Jess around the table, keeping him from making a bad impression on the family. When was she going to realize that Jess wasn't the reformed troublemaker she wanted him to be? He was a leper, and lepers can't change their dots... or spots... or their stupid criminal behavior. Whatever that damn saying was. The fact was that Jess wasn't going to change, and the sooner Rory realized that the sooner they'd all be able to get back to being happy.  
  
"...have been attending Harvard for generations. Where are you planning on attending college, young man?" Emily flashed a smile at Jess, who looked as if he'd just swallowed a small coconut.  
  
"College? Oh, well, I-"  
  
Lorelai smiled as Jess struggled to find words to explain his lack of faith in higher education. There was no way Emily Gilmore would approve of any young person, as she would put it, 'without a future'. She was just settling to enjoy the show when Rory suddenly jumped to his defense.  
  
"Jess doesn't come from a wealthy family, Grandma. He's got the cost factor to consider." At that, Rory shot Jess a supportive look and he smiled in response. Saved again.  
  
"Right, I've got some bank account bulking to do before I can even afford to think about college."  
  
"Yeah, Jess is actually working two jobs right now." Luke added with a proud smile at the teen.  
  
"A strong work ethic is an admirable thing." Richard spoke up, still not looking up from his plate. "Just don't wait too long before you take the next step, or it will go to waste."  
  
Lorelai frowned. That certainly hadn't gone in the 'Jess has no future' direction. In fact, it seemed to be distinctly treading in the 'Jess the working man's hero' waters. And that just couldn't happen. The last thing that would make Rory remember why she wanted a nice boyfriend was talking about Jess' work ethic. Maybe what Rory needed was a little push in the realization department.  
  
Smiling sweetly, Lorelai opened her mouth to do just that.  
  
*  
  
"This salad is delicious Emily." Luke spoke up quickly, interrupting whatever terrible Jess fact Lorelai had been on the brink of revealing to her mother.  
  
He'd been paying closer attention to her as the night went on, interrupting her whenever she got that look of malice on her face - the expression that just screamed out her anger towards Jess and Rory's not-so-subtle flirting. In fact, Luke decided as he watched Lorelai gripping her fork with whitened knuckles, he was going to have to remember to slap the two of them when he got back to Star's Hollow. Weren't secret relationships supposed to be a little less obvious?  
  
Suddenly, he realized that Emily was still talking to him. Quickly, he turned his attention back to the woman.  
  
"...brought the lettuce all the way in from Indiana, this special little farm right outside of South Bend." Emily trailed off when she noticed Lorelai staring at Rory, her plate still untouched. "Lorelai, are you all right?"  
  
"What?" Tearing her eyes from her daughter, Lorelai had obviously not heard a word the woman said.  
  
"What on earth is wrong with you tonight? You have hardly touched your salad, and I don't think you've even glanced at this side of the table more than twice all evening? Is there something I don't know about going on?"  
  
"No. I'm sorry Mom. I was just thinking about how long it's been since Rory wore that dress she has on. I don't think you've worn it since that concert a few years ago. that one you went to with Dean," Lorelai shot a haughty look at Jess, who's gaze was immediately lowered to his plate, his jaw clenched. "And I was just thinking how great it was that it still fits. I remember how excited she was-" she was turning back towards her mother, a victorious smile on her face, when her hand made contact with the glass, sending water all over the table and Jess, who was seated next to her. Jumping to his feet, Jess began angrily wiping the water off of his pants as Emily flew out of the room in search of the maid.  
  
*  
  
She was absolutely amazing. Really fucking unbelievable that Lorelai Gilmore. So she'd been unsuccessful rattling him verbally, might as well try the physical assaults. What was next, a quick butter knife stab to the leg when no one was looking? Maybe a subtle reference to the ten minutes of every town meeting devoted entirely to complaints on Jess? Or maybe she'd just skip all that and jump to her little fairy tale of how he turned her only daughter into a hardened criminal. God this woman was un-fucking- believable.  
  
Throughout it all, Jess failed to notice the silver flash fall from his pocket and land on the floor with a distinctive clang.  
  
*  
  
But that didn't mean the clanging went entirely unnoticed.  
  
Rory watched in confusion as Lorelai's half-hearted apologies cut off, her gaze stalled on the ground by Jess' feet. Then Rory felt her body still in shock as a look that she'd only seen once or twice spread over her mother's face - an expression of mingled suspicion and pain, a look that always signaled some sort of impending disaster.  
  
The whole world seemed to stand still for just a second as Rory watched her mother: first she studied the keys themselves, recognition lining the wrinkles in her face; then realization as she examined the keychain itself; but the worst part by far was the look of betrayal coloring her features when she raised her eyes to Rory's.  
  
*  
  
The look only lasted less than a second, but that was all it took for Rory to confirm it. The distressed expression covering her daughter's face was all the proof Lorelai needed. Rory had given Jess the keys to their house; Jess had given Rory that damn necklace she was wearing; the two had disregarded Lorelai's been dating behind her back for months.  
  
Shock flooded the elder woman's system as she continued to gaze at her daughter, their gazes locked together in a moment of unclouded understanding. The pain... the hurt... the anger... all the emotions swirling in both women's eyes and suddenly Lorelai couldn't take it anymore.  
  
Without a single word, Lorelai tightened her grip on the keys and strode out of the room.  
  
*  
  
Her gaze didn't waver as she watched something over his shoulder, and Jess looked up from the unfinished task of drying his pants to see what Rory was watching with such unbridled anguish. One glance at the doorway caused his heart to leap into his chest. It was Lorelai's back disappearing through the doorway.  
  
There was only one guess as to why she was leaving, and Jess felt the panic rising in his system. Grabbing frantically at his pockets, Jess searched for the only thing that could've tipped her off; they had to be there: he hadn't removed them, he hadn't even looked at them once, he'd been so careful about it... But his search turned up empty and Jess ventured another look at his traumatized girlfriend. One look at her face, and all his hopes of denial vanished.  
  
Her mother knew. Oh God, her mother knew.  
  
*  
  
Luke had seen the entire display, and panic was upon him as Emily re- entered the room, trailed closely by the maid.  
  
"What's going on? Where did Lorelai go?"  
  
Luke glanced towards Jess and Rory for support, but they, of course, were oblivious to his ordeal: Jess stared unblinkingly at Rory who looked as if she was torn between passing out and breaking into tears. Turning his gaze towards Emily, Luke saw that she was paying just as much attention to the teens as he had been a second earlier. It was up to him to take charge and get out of there before things got any more out of control.  
  
"Emily, thanks for having us, but I think Lorelai was lying about not feeling well. So we've got to be going. Rory, Jess." He tipped his head towards the door, knocking the pale faced lovers out of their trance and scurrying out of the room. "Really, your dinner was all Lorelai said it would be. and more." Luke followed the path taken by his dinner mates as he felt the color drain from his own face. This was not going to be good.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
AN:  
  
By the way folks, the word of the day today is: amalgamation. After listening to my chem professor just roll that one out about sixteen consecutive times in class, I decided that it deserved some sort of recognition. So there it is: word of the day. Try to use it in a sentence. :)  
  
and for the few of you who aren't aware: "Dante Alig-" is Jess' loving reference to Dante Alighieri - the poet who got taken on a lovely little tour of hell in his work we all know as 'Dante's Inferno'. (Of course there were also the Paradiso and Purgatorio, but we're gonna assume Jess was referencing the most widely-known portion, the part about hell ...After all, he is Jess on the subject of Star's Hollow.)  
  
And I promise things should start moving much quicker with this story very soon; I'm finally finished with 'Some Things Do', so this story is my primary focus. Just don't expect much for the next week: The Hell-Section of the semester is upon me (2 term papers, 4 exams, 1 dramatic performance- all in the next 3 days... then another week of pure finals fun... not to mention the apt hunting and moving that must be done in this time) But after that it is summer (yay!), and I should have plenty of free time to get this story posting on a regular basis. :)  
  
So until then, be sure to review and let me know what you think! Thanks. 


	13. Undone

13 - Undone  
  
By the time they had gotten outside, the jeep was gone and Rory was in tears. Jess just stood back, watching the scene develop. He didn't know whether to run and comfort Rory or to stay away from her. This was, after all, his fault. So he settled on continuing to contemplate what to should do as Rory broke down further.  
  
"She left us here! She would never leave me here! HERE! At my grandparents' house! She'd rather me get lost in the jungle than have to stay at this house with no backup!" Her wailing was breaking his heart, but any attempts at solace were broken by Luke's brusque tone.  
  
"We'll take the bus. Come on." Luke was already walking down the sidewalk, Jess and Rory following blindly.  
  
"But she left us here. What if she goes somewhere and does something." Rory's eyes went wide. "Oh no! What if she gets hurt?"  
  
"Rory. I'm sure she'll be fine." Luke was trying to calm her down, though it was obvious he knew it was impossible because he hadn't even stopped walking to look at her yet.  
  
"What if she doesn't come home at all? What if my betrayal is the final breaking point for her? What if she just keeps driving... forgets where we live... she'll end up like that bird lady from Home Alone 2, living in Central Park with the pigeons!" If not for the horrified look on the girl's face, Jess would've thought she was joking. How did Lorelai get from angry mother to weird bird lady?  
  
"I think your mom is way too inddoorsy to live in a park." Jess finally spoke up, and he waited breathlessly to see how Rory would respond to his voice.  
  
And he waited.  
  
And waited.  
  
She was silent. This could not be a good sign. There were very few things in life that could shut a Gilmore up, and Jess had yet to learn what a single one of them was.  
  
"Rory?" Jess leaned forward, touching her shoulder. Big mistake. She jumped about four feet in the air before rounding on him.  
  
"And you! What the hell were you thinking, talking about my necklace all through dinner and actually bringing those with you?"  
  
"It was in my pocket."  
  
"Oh great! That's even better. That way, she actually got a look at the inscription when they 'accidently'," she was using the finger quotes now, "fell onto the floor." Her eyes flickered in anger, and Jess couldn't believe what she was saying.  
  
"You think that I purposely dropped them?"  
  
"Hey, if the key fits."  
  
"You really think I would do that to you? At your grandmother's house of all places?"  
  
"Well, you are the one that has been encouraging me to tell my mother about us even though you knew it would cause mass hysteria. Maybe you saw your opportunity tonight and took it!" Jess opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. "Maybe you just like to see me and my mother fighting, because then it means you're the closest one to me! I don't know what your reason was, but I do know that you made a big mistake tonight, Jess because if my mother doesn't forgive me, I am never, EVER speaking to you again."  
  
And with that she flipped on her heel and boarded the bus behind Luke, who had been quietly trying to ignore the squabble. After all, Rory did need to let out some steam, and it's to be expected that the brunt of it would fall on the boyfriend.  
  
But Jess had endured more than his limit. It was one thing to be irritated, even mad, at him for the unfortunate episode at the dinner table. It was quite another to accuse him of sabotaging her mother and her relationship for his own personal gain. And then she had the nerve to tell him that she may never speak to him again?! It was just too much. Jess' eyes flashed in anger and he clenched his fists, drawing his lips tight.  
  
"That is, Rory, assuming that I still want you to." And he turned away from the bus as Rory stood gaping at him in the entrance to the bus and Luke was hanging out the window, screaming at him.  
  
"Where are you going? Get on this bus!"  
  
Those were the last words Jess heard before the bus zoomed away, leaving him standing in the streetlights, the anger on his face visible.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lorelai floored the accelerator, feeling slightly eased as the speed rose to near 100 mph. Jess Mariano. That little jerk. The only one of Rory's friends that had ever treated Lorelai with disrespect. The one boy she'd told Rory to stay away from. And she'd done the opposite. Lorelai glared at the steering wheel as she remembered the sight of keys that strangely resembled the ones to her house hanging on a keychain the oddly enough resembled the necklace Rory was so proud of. And that inscription on the back of the keychain '.this kind of certainty comes only once'.  
  
A perfect ending for the inscription on the back of the cross she'd watched Rory twist around her finger and play with for an entire night now with that happy smile on her face. "Argh" Lorelai yelled at the car in front of her, trying to erase the image from her head. "Get out of my way." Speeding around them, the black night stretching out in front of her again, her thoughts again returned to her daughter. Her lying, sneaking daughter.  
  
There had been so many signs, and Lorelai had ignored them, The way Rory had all of a sudden started staying late at school every day of the week, doing homework assignments more and more often over at Lane's. The way the girl smiled at the mention of the diner, at the sight of that boy's infuriating smirk.  
  
And then there had been the arguments. Every time Jess' name was mentioned, Rory got a bad attitude and snapped at her mother. She refused to listen to a bad word about him, wouldn't talk about that night. Lorelai sighed and continued accelerating. She should've known that Rory was still dating him. And on some level, Lorelai knew that she had. That's why she'd been so suspicious and nosy these past few months. But still, she'd refused to believe that Rory would so blatantly defy her. She'd thought that Rory, despite the affection she felt for Jess, understood Lorelai's concern.  
  
But she hadn't. Rory, the one person she knew she could always count on had been lying to her and pushing her away for two months now. Who knows what else the girl was doing?  
  
At that thought the road became blurry and Lorelai swerved hard to the right, stopping the jeep on the side of the road. And she laid her head down on the steering wheel and cried.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jess watched the bus round the last corner and disappear from sight before he turned in the other direction, intent on walking until his anger dissipated. Stalking furiously down the street, his steps faltered as he passed the Gilmore mansion and Rory's voice echoed in his head.  
  
".at the very least, I'm sure you'll make it an interesting night."  
  
Ironic really. He'd listened to her stories, but he'd never quite believed that catastrophes seemed to consume these dinners. until now. How could he have been so stupid, putting the key chain in his pants pocket where they could easily fall out? Why didn't he remember it was there before he jumped up? Maybe Rory was right. it had been insane to bring it in the first place. Jess had considered it when he'd been getting ready, but he hadn't been able to force himself to leave them on his night stand. After all, it was just a key ring. Everybody had them.  
  
But Lorelai had recognized the keys. She had read the inscription. And that made it different.  
  
Jess sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, resuming his steady pace. Still, Rory had no reason to get so upset with him. It had been an accident, and she knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't do something to purposely sabotage her and her mother's relationship.  
  
'She was just upset. She didn't mean it.'  
  
A little voice spoke up inside him and Jess frowned deeper. That still didn't give her the right to say it, or even think it.  
  
'She was only blowing off steam. I bet she's already regretting it.' Frustrated with that annoying little voice, Jess made the internal argument heard out loud.  
  
"It doesn't matter if she regrets it. I'm her boyfriend, not her punching bag!" He was yelling now as he reached into his pocket for his cigarettes. Yeah, he had quit, but he always kept a few in his wallet, for emergencies. He had one placed firmly between his lips and was puffing furiously when he was startled by a noise behind him.  
  
"That's what I thought."  
  
Jess turned around slowly, dreading the encounter he knew was coming. He recognized that voice. 


	14. Happiness Unleveled

AN - it's funny. i didn't think i left that big of a cliffhanger last time, but the reviews were flooded with people wanting to know who was behind jess. :) and after reading them, i seriously considered changing from my original character to have richard be there. but i just couldn't bring myself to let go of the future scene i have in mind for the two of them. so, sorry to disappoint everyone who wanted the richard/jess scene today, but sorry...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
14 - Happiness Unleveled  
  
Luke held Rory in his arms as the tears flowed freely onto his neatly pressed shirt. 'So much for dressing up.' Involuntarily rolling his eyes at the thought, he continued stroking the girl's hair as she cried, taking the opportunity to scrutinize the few bus mates they had.  
  
Lucky for them, it consisted only of an elderly man reading the paper and a young teenage girl wearing her headphones. Both kept sneaking suspicious glances at the pair, but the patented "Luke-glare" was, for the most part, keeping the gawking at a minimum.  
  
Finally, Rory's whimpering began to subside and she lifted her head up to look at him. "I'm so sorry Luke."  
  
Clearing his throat, Luke tried not to look her in the eye. "You don't owe me any apologies."  
  
A small hand on his chin forced him to meet her watery gaze as she insisted, "Yes I do. I made you lie to my mom, even though you didn't want to. Even though I knew it would be hard for you. I was only thinking about me and how hard it would be to tell my mom what was going on. I never thought. I didn't want her to find out like this though."  
  
Fighting a smile at her despondent rambling, Luke shrugged his shoulders. "You weren't the only one who made that decision."  
  
For a second, silence overtook the pair, each lost in their own memories; each trying to figure out how this situation could have been avoided. Then, laughing bitterly, Luke commented, "I guess we were both pretty stupid to think we could keep it a secret."  
  
"I'm the stupid one!" A sudden eruption came from beside him, "It was me that gave Jess those keys. If I hadn't done that, he wouldn't have had them, and he wouldn't have dropped them, and she wouldn't have seen them, and. and. well, then Mom wouldn't have ever known. It's my fault, not yours." The stubborn face staring back at him had Luke once again choking back laughter.  
  
"I don't want to sound mean here, Ror. but your mom would've figured it out regardless. You two aren't the best actors in the world, you know?" Rory blushed a little at that comment and Luke smiled wistfully, his mind obviously drifting towards something else as he spoke. "Some things are just impossible to hide. Everybody sees it, whether you want them to or not."  
  
Another wave of guilt rushed over Rory as she realized how much it had taken for Luke to keep her secret, and how much he must care about the both of them to let himself get in the middle of something this complicated.  
  
"I really am sorry Luke." Her voice cracked a little at the comment and Luke sighed in response.  
  
"Me too."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lorelai parked her jeep outside of Sookie's house and proceeded to walk down the block in the direction of Luke's. She had no interest in talking to Rory or Jess right now, but she had to fill Luke in on what she knew. He was the only one that would understand, plus she wanted to apologize for abandoning him at the mercy of Emily Gilmore.  
  
Reaching the door, Lorelai noticed that it was still black and she casually slipped around the back alley to see if there was another entrance, maybe one of the windows was. Lorelai's face darkened as she noticed the ladder propped up against the side of the building, leading to a wide-open window from which she could hear the not-so-quiet strands of Metallica emerging from. At least she knew how Rory was spending all that time with Jess without anyone finding out.  
  
"Oh well. here goes." Lorelai clumsily ascended the ladder into the room, quickly making her way towards the doorway. She had no interest to be in 'Jess territory' any longer than absolutely necessary. although.  
  
She stopped suddenly at the thought.  
  
This might be her only chance to find some sort of proof that would convince Rory that Jess was trouble. Drugs, alcohol, signs of another girlfriend. her eyes lit up as she reached for the light switch.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"I figured out where I recognized your name from." Emily Gilmore was staring icily into Jess' eyes as he shrugged noncommitally.  
  
"Yeah? Old friend?"  
  
"Don't be sarcastic with me, young man. You are the boy that Lorelai and Rory were fighting over months ago, before that other one - what's his name - was even out of the picture."  
  
"I like to make an impression." Jess responded with another biting remark as he blew smoke out of his nose and began inhaling deeply. The nicotine was already working its magic with his nerves.  
  
Suddenly the nervy woman's hand reached out, snatched the cigarette from his lips, and proceeded to grind it to shreds beneath her expensive heels.  
  
"What the hell?!" Jess responded angrily as she rounded on him with the same no-nonsense tone she'd exhibited at dinnertime.  
  
"I will not have any acquaintance of my granddaughter's engaging in such a filthy habit."  
  
"Well I don't think you have to worry about it. After tonight-" Once again, the woman refused to hear any of Jess' comments as she began talking, rolling her eyes as she spoke.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous. I saw the way that girl stared at you all night. The same way my clueless daughter was gazing at that unkempt uncle of yours. Now you're going to come inside the house right now and we'll straighten all this nonsense out."  
  
And with that, she pushed the baffled teen in the direction of her home, walking briskly behind him without missing a beat, "I swear. I don't know where they get it from."  
  
~~~~~  
  
AN - okay, now just remember to be nice. between classes and work and my damn boyfriend's rush events, not to mention my own stupid organizational commitments, i think i've had a whole hour of free time to write. and as for this summer, yeah you try to find time to do anything when you're interning at a law firm. i was lucky to find five hours of sleep a night. :) so anyways, i'm back at school (busy as it is) and i'm gonna try to get this stuff going on a regular basis again. problem is (like today) i think i'm gonna have to post first drafts, so there'll probly be a lot more little grammatical errors. so just bear with me, k?  
  
and as always, thanks so much for your patience and ongoing interest. it makes the time i spend on this worth it. 


	15. Drove Me to the Fire

15 - Drove Me To The Fire  
  
"Okay, you ready?" Luke fumbled the words out as he grasped the girl's hand protectively. Rory couldn't help but squeeze back, thankful that she had at least one person who wasn't mad at her.  
  
Then, forcing her face to smile in confirmation, she asked, "So where do you think they are?"  
  
Shaking his head in response, Luke answered, "I'm guessing that Jess is still somewhere in Hartford, and Lorelai..." Luke paused for a second before finishing, "well, you know her better than I do."  
  
At least she'd used to. Before Jess.  
  
But now wasn't the time to dwell on regrets. As far as she was concerned, Jess was a problem she'd deal with later. Right now, the priority was to find her mother and apologize for everything. Regardless of how unreasonable she'd been, hurting her like this was the last thing Rory had ever wanted.  
  
So pulling herself together, Rory decided to put emotions aside and focus on the mission.  
  
"In that case, let's check the diner. That's usually the first place she runs when she's upset." Nodding his agreement, Luke led her towards the dark building. Quickly unlocking the door, he called out, "Lorelai!"  
  
"Mom!" Rory was right behind him, disappointed to find the room as empty as it had appeared from the outside. It wasn't that she had really expected Lorelai to be waiting inside the locked diner... but it had been her best bet at this point.  
  
"Okay, where next?" Luke's face reflected her own worry as he turned towards her.  
  
"Umm..." Rory thought for a second. Time to be logical. "Well, I guess the best thing to do would be to look for the jeep. Mom can't be too far away from it."  
  
Nodding his agreement, Luke began directing, "I'll take my truck and see if it's parked anywhere in town. Why don't you head towards your house, and call me when you get there?"  
  
"Okay." With that, she was moving towards the door while he headed towards the back in search of his car keys. Suddenly her voice permeated the silence. "And Luke?"  
  
"Yeah?" Glancing up, he saw her leaning in the doorway, her shadowy figure strangely reminiscent of her mother's earlier in the day.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lorelai sat on the bed gazing around the now well-lit room in awe. At first she'd been surprised, but now relief... tinged with quite a bit of guilt was flooding her system.  
  
Rory had been right.  
  
The first thing she'd seen was the bookshelves, or rather lack thereof. It was amazingly similar to her own daughter's room with books shoved in every available crevice, the few bookshelves stocked much beyond their capacity.  
  
Then the details had come to her attention.  
  
Every inch of the room was littered with signs of Rory. Pictures crowded his night stand, a few more stuck in the sides of his mirror, and a framed senior portrait hung on the wall. Lorelai sighed, moving to the desk to inspect it closer.  
  
Ticket stubs of movies she could only assume the two of them had seen were piled on the surface, and a few pieces of distinctively feminine jewelry lay haphazardly across the wood. But the thing that actually caused her to smile was the picture taped at the top of his mirror.  
  
The two had obviously set the camera themselves and they were already laughing at something by the time it flashed, looking at one another rather than the camera. What struck Lorelai was the spark in her daughter's eyes. She'd never seen Rory look that happy. Her eyes were sparkling and her smile was so vivid that Lorelai could have sworn she was right there. And more amazing yet was that Jess had the same look on his face. His eyes were open and his smile genuine, not a hint of sarcasm anywhere.  
  
At that moment, Lorelai admitted something to herself. Her daughter was in love.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"All right, sit down right over there." The woman's hand pointed towards the sofa, and Jess scowled more heavily. This woman was lucky he didn't have any money on him, or she wouldn't have even gotten him this far inside.  
  
Sitting down in the chair opposite from where she'd been pointing, Jess spoke up, "Let me guess. This is the part where I get to explain to you, in detail, exactly what happened?"  
  
With a dismissive flick of the wrist, Emily Gilmore announced, "I already know what happened. Rory has been keeping your little relationship a secret from her mother, and somehow tonight Lorelai figured it out. Then Rory, being her mother's daughter, decided to get angry with you instead of herself. Am I right?"  
  
Not wanting to confirm the haughty woman's accuracy, Jess remained silent and continued staring straight ahead. What he wouldn't do for just bus fare right now.  
  
"Yes, that's what I thought. Now I do have a little something to say, and I want no interruptions from you."  
  
Jess rolled his eyes. Honestly, this night really couldn't get any worse. But, remaining motionless, he responded, "You have my undivided attention."  
  
"Very good. Now, first off, I'd just like to get it out in the open that I do not approve of Rory's deceitful behavior, nor am I entirely convinced my daughter was wrong in prohibiting a relationship between the two of you."  
  
"Do you really expect me to sit here and listen to this?" Jess finally removed his eyes from the blank spot over her shoulder, intending to walk out - money or not. However, his attempt was short-lived as he was immediately halted by Emily's stern voice.  
  
"I specifically said no interruptions. Now stay seated and allow me to finish."  
  
Jess rolled his eyes, but obliged. Apparently that stubborn streak of Rory's really was genetic.  
  
Seemingly satisfied with the youth's response, Emily continued, "But, however I feel about you or this relationship, there is one thing my experiences have taught me. I cannot change how my granddaughter feels, therefore--  
  
"Listen lady," Jess once again rose to his feet. Her lack of comprehension was really getting to be too much. "I already told you-"  
  
"That will be ENOUGH, young man. I am not finished." Fixing him with a withering look, the elder woman continued, "Therefore, I have decided this. Rory may be like Lorelai in many ways, but I refuse to watch her throw away something that obviously means so much to her. I have played witness to Lorelai's self-destruction for years, and I will not watch Rory do the same."  
  
Jess blinked in disbelief. This lady was like some sort of mentally- challenged Mussolinic dictator. Deciding to bring this strikingly obvious fact to her attention, Jess demanded, "Are you deaf or something? Rory and me are finished."  
  
Another disbelieving look was all Jess got in response before she dismissed him. "You can go into the study now while I contact a taxi service for you."  
  
"Gladly." Shaking his head, Jess snatched up his coat and proceeded in that direction. It was no wonder Lorelai couldn't stand coming here. This woman had some seriously misguided illusions of grandeur; as if she had any say at all in Rory's love life.  
  
"Are you always this surly?"  
  
Pausing halfway towards the study door, Jess smirked at the woman's comment. "Only when I'm awake. I've been told I'm actually quite pleasing asleep."  
  
As if looking for divine intervention, Emily rolled her eyes towards the ceiling while muttering, "Absolutely infuriating."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Keys, keys, keys. where the HELL are my truck keys!?" Luke finally lost his temper, slamming his fist into the countertop and sending tomorrow's bag of flour all over the floor. Perusing the mess, Luke sighed, "Great. Just great. I can't find my keys and my kitchen looks like the middle of Whoville."  
  
Leaving the mess, Luke climbed up the stairs to his apartment. Maybe he'd left them on the-  
  
"Whoa!" Luke jumped backwards at the sight that greeted him. The one and only Lorelai Gilmore lay seated on his sofa, her head buried in her hands.  
  
"Uh... hey... are you all right?" Luke cautiously approached the silent woman, hesitant that his words would break some sort of dam on her anger. "Lorelai?" His hand finally made contact with her shoulder, and Luke immediately found himself lost in the deep sorrowful pits of a woman finally facing some hard truths.  
  
"She loves him, Luke."  
  
Still unsure of what to say, Luke found himself grappling for a response. "What? I mean, right... well..."  
  
"And he loves her."  
  
Taking a risk, Luke sat down beside her on the couch, quietly responding, "Umm... yeah."  
  
"When did this happen? I mean, how did I miss it?" Lorelai began sounding off, her eyes a convoluted mixture of pain. "My daughter fell in love, and I was so busy trying to keep her away from him that I missed it." Again, the dark mop rushed downwards as Lorelai dropped her head into her hands.  
  
"Well, you can't really blame yourself." Luke edged a bit closer, laying his arm across the devastated woman's back. Seeing her in this kind of pain was more than enough to make him forget all of his irritation at her initial reaction. "I mean, I didn't even know until--"  
  
"Yeah, but you're a guy!" Lorelai sat up straight, her eyes pleading with his. "Women are supposed to notice this kind of stuff. Plus Rory and me are like-me and Rory! We don't have any secrets!"  
  
"You said it yourself that things had changed." Luke's first fully executed sentence was met with another devastated look, and he found himself elaborating in a softer tone, "this morning, in the diner."  
  
Sticking her bottom lip out in frustration, Lorelai replied, "Yeah... but... that's when I thought that she only liked him, and that her anger was just a frustrated crush. This is so much worse. I mean, she's been lying to me for months!" Luke could see some of the shock beginning to wear off as Lorelai's words began to burn with repressed rage. "Sneaking and lying and... and falling in love!"  
  
"Right... well there is that, and I was mad at first too--" Luke began frantically talking, hoping that something he said would halt the outpouring stream of anger spewing from the woman beside him.  
  
"And Jess. Sneaking his way back in after I specifically let him know he was not--"  
  
"--but when you think about it, they were kind of stuck--"  
  
"--to be in touching distance of her. I mean, I was only trying to protect- -"  
  
"--None of us knew that they felt that strongly about each other--"  
  
"--her! I know what it's like to fall in love with the wrong guy!"  
  
"--But after I saw them in the woods--"  
  
Suddenly the room was completely silent as Luke cut himself off, suddenly feeling the definite urge to ram his head into the living room wall. Repetitively. The last thing he should be doing right now was further igniting the wrath Lorelai Gilmore.  
  
But, watching as those familiar brown depths hardened in rage and focused on him, Luke knew that was exactly what he had done.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
an - it's starting to heat up again! lol; i'm glad that i got this chapter out of the way; the last few have seemed like fillers to me, but now we're getting to some real confrontation again. :) don't u just love the journey? ok, i'm weird. i've got a couple more hours before i've got to get ready to go out, so i'm gonna try to get the next chapter finished, that way i can post it within the next few days.  
  
and don't forget, reviews are a GREAT way to get another post. ;) 


	16. And Left Me There to Burn

a/n - okay, I know it's been months since my last update, but things have been crazy. I've started my first year of law school, and between that and my damn part time job, I don't even have time to sleep - let alone write. So when I got on today to see where I left off and start writing a new update (yay!), I noticed that you guys have been left with this terrible version of chapter 16 - one where u can't even see what Emily is saying. Stupid uploading errors. So, I'm uploading it again, and hopefully it will work out better this time. Meanwhile, I'm working on another installment, which I hope will be finished in time to post tonight. So read on and have fun. :) Again, I apologize for the break between updates.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
16 - And Left Me There To Burn  
  
"When you what!?"  
  
Suddenly the diatribe was stopped by Lorelai's exclamation, and Luke felt the distinct urge to ram his head into the coffee table. Repetitively. What had possessed him to say that?  
  
"I... um..."  
  
"When you saw them in the woods?"  
  
"I...see, it was..."  
  
"Our woods... and what were exactly they doing?" Luke opened his mouth to answer, but a hand in the air stopped him as Lorelai continued, "No, no, let me guess... hmmm... well, considering that one of them was Jess, it probably had something to do with matches and a dry brush pile. No wait, Rory was involved, and arson is just so out this month when it comes to seducing your date... I'll bet he was just proving how sincere and wonderful a boyfriend he could be while luring her into the dark woods alone at night..."  
  
Suddenly, the pity he'd been feeling earlier began to dissipate, and all Luke could see was an irrationally angry woman lashing out at him. But, attempting to keep his temper in check, Luke tried to explain, "Lorleai, calm down. It wasn't--"  
  
"I'm supposed to calm down!? After finding out that one of the only people I ever KNEW wouldn't lie to me been doing exactly that for-- Wait, I don't exactly know how long this has been going on: a month, a week, how long? How long have you been covering up for that little asshole?"  
  
"Now, that's enough about Jess. Rory was just as responsible for this, and just for the record, I didn't find out about anything until last night, and- -"  
  
"Oh, I get it now! That makes perfect sense." Lorelai began waving her arms in the air dramatically, "Now let's everybody flash back to this morning and Luke's ever-inspiring 'Let's all give Jess another chance' speech."  
  
"I meant every word of that, Lorelai! But I thought that you should probably ease into the idea of them-*"  
  
"Right! Just like you ease into shark infested waters."  
  
"What?" Luke spun around, thoroughly taken aback by such a crude suggestion.  
  
"Well yeah; if you go nice and slow they can gnaw your limbs off one at a time, rather than just swallowing you whole!"  
  
"Lorelai, this is nothing like that."  
  
"Except the fact that it really is; not only did your little talk have me feeling guilty all day, bu--"  
  
"Okay, hold on a second; I need to clarify something. This," Luke paused to gesture at the disheveled mess before him, "is what you act like when you're feeling guilty?"  
  
Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest, fixing him with a glare. "I'm not in the mood for this, Luke."  
  
"Cause I gotta say, it looks a lot more like anger to me. In fact, I would say more like ninety percent--"  
  
"You know what? I'm leaving!"  
  
"Good, and don't forget: when your daughter finally finds you, just yell at her like this. It'll solve all the problems between the two of you!"  
  
"Ugh!" The door slamming enunciated her point as Lorelai exited the room. Then, just as abruptly as it had closed, the wooden plank flew back open. "And another thing!"  
  
"Oh, I just can't wait."  
  
"Where the hell do you get off lecturing me for withholding information from you about something that happened four months ago when at that exact moment, you were keeping something like a bagillion times worse from me?"  
  
"A bagillion? Now, is that bigger or less than a billion?"  
  
"Hypocrite!"  
  
"Drama queen!"  
  
"Burn in hell!"  
  
"Ladies first."  
  
And with that, the door slammed behind her. And this time, Luke had a feeling it wasn't opening again.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Rory collapsed onto the well-worn sofa, tears stinging at her eyes. This was, by far, the worst chain of events in her entire life: worse than those few hours spent in jail; worse than the day her dad missed the Father- daughter dance; this even surpassed the time in third grade where Stevie Thompson talked her into eating the class goldfish and then ratted her out to the entire class during storytime. She'd had to endure the nickname 'fishgulp' for years.  
  
Rory frowned at all the horrible memories. She really hated that Stevie Thompson.  
  
But as humiliating or depressing any of those events had been, this was by far the worst. In a matter of a few hours, she had managed to chase away both her mother and her boyfriend, not to mention alienating Luke from them as well.  
  
And to add to it, she had no one to blame but herself.  
  
So now, here she was, the search for her mother having turned up fruitless - completely alone. The anger that had been fuelling her system had long since drained away, leaving nothing but a void of emptiness... or actually, to be more specific, mostly empty; the guilt that had been knowing at her insides seemed to only increase with her exhaustion.  
  
And it wasn't just over her mother's anger. Now, she was beginning to realize the extent of her argument with jess. After all, she knew better than anyone that he wouldn't have been malicious enough to purposely drop those keys, especially after witnessing the immense effort he'd put into dinner. He'd actually dressed in khakis; Rory hadn't even known he owned a pair of those.  
  
She really couldn't blame him for the way things got out of hand... except that she kinda couldn't help it. Because, honestly, bringing those keys had been stupid. And really, he ought to have known better than to make jokes when she was so obviously panicked. And... well, Rory was sure that there were a few other reasons she had been angry with him... it was just that she was having a hard time remembering them right now.  
  
---RING---  
  
Rory's head flew up at the sound. She had never imagined that the shrill ring of the telephone would sound so good to her ears. Frantically, she began to search for the source of the noise.  
  
---RING---  
  
It had to be Luke. Luke calling to say he'd found her mother, and she was safe and sound-  
  
---RI  
  
"Aha!" Rory reached triumphantly between the cushions, retrieving the receiver. "Did you find her? Is she all right?"  
  
{{ "Honestly Rory, your mother should be locked up for teaching you to answer the telephone like that." }}  
  
Disappointment flooded Rory's system at the sound of her grandmother's voice.  
  
"Oh, hi Grandma."  
  
{{ "Don't sound so thrilled to hear from me. Who are you looking for?" }}  
  
"...uh...we..." Rory found herself scrambling for a response; for some reason, it just seemed like another betrayal to tell her grandparents what was going on. A quick glance at the pajamas laying across the couch had her answering, "A pig! Babbette adopted him a few weeks ago, and uh... Screech got out while we were gone. The whole neighborhood is out looking for him."  
  
{{ "I don't even want to think about what type of people keep barnyard animals as pets, let alone name them Screech." }}  
  
"Yeah, well, Babbette's got problems." Then, before anymore could be said about the fictional pet, Rory hurriedly introduced a new subject, "Listen, if you're calling about earlier, I just wanted to apologize for the way we left. I am very sorry--"  
  
{{ "Yes, that was quite rude; and though I appreciate the apology, it's actually not the reason as to why I was calling." }}  
  
"Oh. did we leave something there, because if we did, I'm sure that we can drop by tomorrow or sometime later this week to--"  
  
{{ "Actually the was something you three left behind, but I'm afraid that it must be picked up immediately." }}  
  
"What? Why?" Rory frowned at the telephone; the last thing she wanted was to worry about was some forgotten hat when there were so much more important things to be thinking about.  
  
{{ "Did you not notice on the ride home that there was one less body in the vehicle?" }}  
  
Something between a cough and a choke emitted from Rory's throat at the surprise. "Jess is there?"  
  
{{ "Yes, he is, and I would like it if you came to pick him up. He is really in a foul state over the argument the two of you had." }}  
  
"Jess told you we had a fight?"  
  
{{ "Rory, would you please stop with the interrogation? Just come and get this young man of yours before I lose my patience with him. We can talk about your lack of relationship skills when you get here." }}  
  
"What? I... uh... Okay, I'll be right there."  
  
And with that, Rory hung up the phone and sat on the couch in shock. Jess had gone back to her grandparent's house? Was he mental? Really, it was one thing to get mad and refuse to ride a bus with her, but it was another to go back and spill their secrets to her grandmother.  
  
And what had Emily meant by 'We'll talk about your lack of relationship skills when you get here'? What had Jess been telling her?  
  
Slowly, the anger-fueled adrenaline began to resurge Rory's system. Maybe she'd been right before; maybe Jess did have ulterior motives. After all, it wasn't enough for him that her mom found out. He had to go back and make sure her grandparents did too!  
  
These thoughts clouded her brain as she climbed into the sedan in her driveway, keys in hand. He had gone too far this time, way too far.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N - Okay to repeat the same a/n I used last time (just for those of you that haven't read it before): I know Rory is being stupid, but you know what? That's typical of the real Rory too; it's a proven fact that she and Lorelai are incapable of rational thought when put in stressful situations. Let's look at the past: Season 1: Rory freaks out on Mr. Medina (not to mention Paris and Tristan) after being hit by the deer and missing the test. She spazzes after dean tells her he loves her. Then she starts crying and runs out of the party after Tristan kisses her. And those are just a few. The Gilmores are seriously emotionally retarded. 


	17. Something to Consider

17 - Something to Consider  
  
Now this was the sort of room rich people should spend their money on. Jess gazed at the volumes upon volumes of texts lining the walls of the study, basking in the sheer multitude of possibilities they provided. As far as he was concerned, the rest of this house was a waste of money with its crystal chandeliers and overpriced furniture.  
  
But this... Jess actually felt a ghost of a smile tug at his lips at the sight of the soft leather furniture in the corner. This was something worth every penny, and probably, he noted with amusement, the one room in the house Emily didn't decorate.  
  
Strolling across the carpeting, Jess allowed his hand to reach up, brushing against the spines of the books as he read the titles aloud. "Civil Disobedience... Confessions...The Time Machine..." Jess had to admit that his opinion of the brusque man from dinner was drastically improving with every second he spent in this study. In fact--  
  
"Ahem."  
  
Jess spun around to find the subject of his introversion staring directly at him. Why hadn't he noticed the far-from-empty desk chair flanking the mohaghany desk when he'd walked into the room?  
  
"I expect you have a reason for invading my study and interrupting my reading?" Richard emphasized his point by raising the book in his hands for Jess to see.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah... I was dismissed." Jess answered distractedly, frowning at the book in the elder man's hands. "Moliere?"  
  
"Is there something wrong with his work?"  
  
Smirking defiantly, Jess slipped both hands into his pockets. Just what he needed to get his mind off of Rory - a good, old-fashioned debate.  
  
"Of course not-- if you like reading stories with no plot."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Rory grit her teeth against the anger threatening to spill out of her stomach. How dare he go back and involve her grandmother in this? He understood perfectly well how complicated things became when Emily Gilmore was involved.  
  
She'd described to him in detail disaster of her sixteenth birthday party; he knew all about the time her mother had been lured into a weekend trip to the spa; he was even directly in the middle of a shining example! Friday night dinners as a condition of a loan. Who had ever heard of that before?  
  
But regardless of his prior knowledge, Jess had taken it upon himself to go back to the Gilmore residence and invite her grandmother into their problems. And that comment, "We can talk about your lack of relationship skills when you get here." That in itself was enough to get Rory's blood boiling.  
  
Her grandmother, Emily Gilmore, the woman who had a hard time getting along with her own daughter, was now sitting at home preparing a lecture on cultivating solid relationships. A lecture that Rory was sure to hear no less than three times before leaving the house.  
  
Jess was really going to need a hearing aid when she was through with him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A flash of blue caught Lorelai's eye as she turned onto Main Street. After her fight with Luke, she'd headed straight back for the jeep. She was going to go home and tell Rory exactly what she thought of her midnight rendezvous' with Jess.  
  
But that flash of blue had changed Lorelai's mind. That had been Rory's car, and it was headed out of town. Lorelai didn't know where that girl thought she was going, but she would be damned if she let her get away with anymore secrets.  
  
Whipping the car into a dramatic U-turn, Lorelai pressed down the gas pedal in pursuit of her runaway daughter. Nothing could stop her from finding that girl and screaming some sense into her. By the time she was finished, Rory would be in awe of her own stup--  
  
A loud siren interrupted Lorelai's personal mission statement and she noticed the flashing red and blue lights on the road behind her. Glancing down at her steering wheel, Lorelai groaned aloud. It just figured, it really figured.  
  
The one thing she needed to make this night the perfect catastrophe was a ticket.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"If you read a book for no other reason than plot, then you may as well not read it at all." The argument raged on as Richard dropped the book, freeing his hands up for pointing.  
  
Jess hid his amusement at the man's dedication to the subject before retorting, "Right, because you'll miss all of that social commentary and personal introspection. Thanks, but no thanks."  
  
"Now young man, those aspects of writing you so carelessly discard are precisely what distinguishes a timehonored novel from its peers." Richard's finger was in full-point mode as he paced about the room, giddy with the excitement of debate.  
  
"And here I thought it was the reader's interpretation that did all that." Jess shrugged his shoulders sarcastically.  
  
"And what kind of interpretation can you manage if you focus primarily on the plot and ignore every other statement the author is making?"  
  
At that, Jess felt the tiniest betrayal of a smile sneak across his face. Finally he was having a conversation that wasn't a total waste of time.  
  
"I'm not saying that you should ignore the rest of the book, but I think that it has to have something to bind it all together. Otherwise you're stuck with a useless stack of paper that no one besides pretentious intellectuals with too much time on their hands will even bother reading."  
  
"Yet it seems you've read a piece or two by Moliere."  
  
"Only because I was listening to those pretentious intellectuals."  
  
At that, Richard chuckled before commenting, "You know, I never really cared for Moliere myself." Then, coming a bit closer, the elder man set his glasses on the table and added, "But after tonight's little dinner theater, I found the chaos strangely familiar."  
  
Not responding, Jess turned his back on the man and began browsing the shelves. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about what had happened earlier.  
  
That's when he felt a heavy hand fall on his shoulder. Turning his head ever so slightly, Jess quietly took in the somber look on Richard's face.  
  
"I do not know the details of what happened out their earlier, and honestly I don't want to. I spent sixteen years living in a house with Lorelai and Emily, and if there's one thing I've learned it is to lay low when a war is brewing. It is the best way to ensure your own safety."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Jess shook the elder man's hand off of his shoulder. "Gee thanks, but I don't have time for the male bonding right now. It's been a long night." With that, he turned to leave the study, only to be halted by a demanding voice.  
  
"I will allow your flippancy to slide because I can sympathize with a man involved with feuding Gilmores; however I do have one final thing to say to you, and I suggest you listen closely." Richard paused to take a breath, purposely dramatizing his forthcoming statement.  
  
"I have been married to Emily for over thirty years, and although life with her is often both overwhelming and frustrating, life without her would be unbearable." Richard's eyes bored into Jess' as he finished, "I suggest you consider that before eliminating Rory from yours."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Luke glanced at the clock for what seemed like the thousandth time - still 9:17. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath and leaned back against the arm of the sofa.  
  
When Lorelai had first stormed out, he'd been so angry that he'd gone into the kitchen and smashed every coffee pot he owned.  
  
Then, after cleaning up the glass, he'd retreated to his apartment - and to his couch.  
  
Now, fifteen minutes after he sat down, he was going stir crazy. Lorelai was pissed at him; Rory was at home in tears; and only God knew what Jess was doing at this moment. This night had turned into one giant disaster. Who's idea had it been to go to that damn dinner in the first place?  
  
Sighing, Luke turned his head to look at the clock again - 9:18.  
  
With that, he stood up and grabbed his keys. If Jess wasn't coming home, Luke was going to find him. And he'd start with the last place he seen him: The Gilmores.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jess stared stubbornly at the volumes of texts in front of him. Socrates, Fitzgerald, Twain - he read the authors names as fast as he could think them.  
  
As long as his mind stayed busy, then he couldn't think about Rory... Rory who had won him over with one smile; Rory who he'd chased for nearly a year before finally catching; Rory who had stolen his heart - only to have her throw back at him the second any real conflict came their way.  
  
No, he wouldn't listen to what Richard had said before quietly slipping out of the room. What she had said to him, accused him of, was entirely unforgivable. He wouldn't allow himself to love her anymore. She was the past - over.  
  
Satisfied with his decision, Jess went back to distracting himself from thinking.  
  
Yeah, he'd do anything to keep from thinking about her. Caroll, Lewis, Austen, Kea--  
  
That's when he saw the headlights pull up. 


	18. The Voice That Goes Unheard

18 - The Voice That Goes Unheard  
  
On the way over, Rory had developed a plan.  
  
She was going to go to the door, knock, and then get back into her car and wait for him Jess come out. There would be no discussion, no fighting, and absolutely no lectures from her grandmother.  
  
Then she would use the car ride home to tell Jess - calmly - how she felt about his going back to her grandmothers. When they got back to Star's Hollow, she would drop him off at home and they could finish working things out tomorrow.  
  
So there she was, poised for the "knock and run" as she'd dubbed it when all of a sudden the door flew open and there he was.  
  
"J...J...Jess." Rory finally managed to get the word out, the butterflies in her stomach suddenly multiplied when she saw the inaccessible expression staring back at her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Rory could see her perfect plan dissipating as he continued staring at her with those cold eyes.  
  
"You know, I was wondering the same thing about you." Rory felt her own anger surge back; how dare he stand there and act like she was the one out of place at her own grandmother's house!  
  
With that, Jess pushed past her and began stalking back down the driveway - in the opposite direction of her car.  
  
"Where are you going?" She yelled after him, only to be ignored. Taking a couple steps in that direction, she continued to call out to him, "Jess! Would you please just get in the car?"  
  
When all she got in response was silence and more stomping down the driveway, Rory started towards her own car. Fine, let him spend the night wandering around Hartford. She could really care less.  
  
And with that, she started her car and revved the engine.  
  
*  
  
Jess heard footsteps behind him and began walking faster. The last thing he wanted to do was to look at Rory.  
  
Rory with her normally vivacious face so disheveled; tearstained cheeks and mussed hair... It just made him want to reach out and--  
  
No! The way she'd spoken to him earlier, the things she'd said... it was unforgivable. And he would be damned if he allowed himself to cave because she looked sad. In fact, at this point, he wasn't sure he'd forgive her even if she dropped to her hands and knees and pleaded for it.  
  
He was determined to stay angry with her - her and that horrible grandmother of hers. The lady had some real nerve: telling him that she was calling a cab in hopes of luring her granddaughter here for some sort of melodramatic reunion.  
  
Well, she could just put her misguided ambitions of matchmaking on the shelf because this was one match that was going to f--  
  
"Ow!" Jess yelled out as someone came out from behind him, snatching him right by the ear. "What the-"  
  
"I have had enough of your attitude this evening, young man!" Emily Gilmore's voice broke the silence as Jess finally got a good look at his captor. "You are going to come inside this instant and work things out with my granddaughter."  
  
"You wanna bet?" Jess looked her squarely in the eye, jerking his head out of her grasp.  
  
"I most certainly do not make bets." With that, Emily took hold of his upper arm and dragged him up the driveway where Rory sat sullenly on the front step. Apparently, Emily had already commandeered the girl. "Rory, I said to wait for us inside."  
  
"I just... I..." Rory stuttered nervously, looking downright terrified, "Jess and I can work this out on our own, Grandma!" She finally blurted out, looking ready to pass out at any second.  
  
At that, Jess hated himself for needing to smother a smile. It was just too funny watching Rory attempt to stand up for herself.  
  
"Oh you can, can you?" Emily was responding, "Is that why he was temper- tantruming his way down the driveway for the second time this evening?"  
  
That was enough. Jess did not temper-tantrum, and he would be damned if he was going to let Emily stand here and make fun of him without a word in his own defense.  
  
"Oh, give me a break." Jess tried to leave again, only to find that Emily was still holding firmly to his arm. Glaring at his captor, Jess demanded, "And would you let go of me? There's nothing for us to work out. Rory said all she needed to say earlier." Jess paused, raising his eyes to level Rory's. "We're through."  
  
*  
  
Rory felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. For a second, she was convinced that she was going to pass out. Jess was breaking up with her!?  
  
After all they'd gone through; after all the fights she'd had to make him a part of her life; after she alienated herself from Dean, Lane, and even her mother for him... After all that, he was dumping her!?  
  
Suddenly all the anger she'd felt over every tiny thing the past two months was spilling out of her.  
  
"No kidding we're through! I can't believe I thought I was in love with you! You and your arrogant, introverted, 'don't mess with me, I'm from New York' attitude!" Rory was on a roll now as she added, "And I hate your ugly t-shirts!"  
  
"Oh, that's intelligent. Are you going to insult my clothes next?" Jess sneered, coming closer to her.  
  
Rory flushed slightly, though she wasn't sure whether it was because of her embarrassment or the fact that they were practically touching as they argued.  
  
That observation had her suddenly noticing how good he smelled wearing Luke's cologne, and her body temperature sky-rocketed.  
  
The new distraction only further sparked her anger though. How could he do that? Make her want to kiss him and slap him at the same time?  
  
Her voice became strangled as she struggled to remember why she hated him, "And... and... you smell like Luke!"  
  
Okay, maybe that wasn't the best insult in the world.  
  
Jess' lips tipped slightly at the corners, his head cocking slightly to the side as he stared down at her, his own eyes suddenly less cold.  
  
Encouraged by the reaction, Rory attempted a smile of her own as she reached out for his hand. "Listen Jess, I--"  
  
*  
  
SQUUUEAAKK!  
  
The jeep tires squealed as Lorelai turned into the driveway at full speed. She was going to the only place in Hartford she could imagine Rory running to.  
  
And sure enough, parked right in front of the towering mansion was her daughter's car, gleaming under the porch lights. And there, only a few feet away from it stood Rory and Jess - and they were touching.  
  
Seeing them together like that, as a real couple, made something snap inside of her. Before she knew what she was doing, Lorelai had leapt out of her car, all of her earlier mission statements of screaming some sense into her daughter gone.  
  
"That's it! I'm done being the voice of reason!"  
  
Quickly running up the driveway, Lorelai continued raging at Rory, "The ban is lifted, the wall is broken, say goodbye to East Berlin! From this moment on, I am officially opinion-less about your love life.  
  
"In fact, I think it would be best if I just butted out of your life entirely, don't you?" Rather than waiting for Rory's answer, Lorelai continued sarcastically, "Of course you do. If my opinion meant anything, you wouldn't be here right now holding hands with the only person I ever asked you to stay away from."  
  
At that, just like she was grasping a lump of burning coal, Rory dropped Jess' hand and began moving towards her mother. "Mom, it's not like that! Please just--"  
  
But Lorelai was through listening for the evening. Shaking her head, she interrupted, "No, Rory; I'm done. You and Jess have my official blessing: date him, sleep with him, have his babies for all I care! You will never hear another bad word from my lips - even when he runs off with the kindergarten teacher--"  
  
"No, Mom! That won't happen!" Rory pleaded desperately with the barely sane woman in front of her.  
  
Lorelai was on a roll, not hearing a word of Rory's arguments as she continued to weave her story of Jess and Rory's life together, "--leaving you to raise Jess Jr. alone in your one-bedroom apartment about Luke's!"  
  
"I'm not gonna sleep with him! We're just--"  
  
"But even then, all you'll get from me is a charitable offer to baby-sit while you head on down to your job running the cash register at--"  
  
"ENOUGH!"  
  
Immediately, all conversations halted as everyone turned to face the source of the outburst.  
  
*  
  
Emily stood tall, hands resting primly on her hips as she pursed her lips in disappointment. This public display was a total disgrace.  
  
She'd brought Rory here so that she and that unruly boyfriend of hers could quietly work things out, not to put on a spectacle for all the neighbors to see.  
  
But now here she was standing on her front porch screaming at the top of her lungs. The fact that they'd reduced her to this sort of public embarrassment only further ignited her anger.  
  
Satisfied that she had everyone's attention, Emily admonished them, "Would the three of you compose yourselves? This is no way for Gilmores - or anyone else for that matter," she added, looking directly at Jess, "to behave. Now I think we should all go inside and talk about this like adults." With that, she turned on her heel and began moving inside, only to find her requests totally ignored as Rory began pleading with her mother.  
  
"I swear Mom, I never meant to hurt you. And, and I like the wall. West Berlin is stupid and... and I don't know what I was thinking. I swear that if you want me to stop dating him, I will. From now on, it's you first because I do care what you think, and... and... I just wasn't thinking... and I... I don't know. Just please don't hate me..." With that, the girl collapsed to the ground, her body shaking with sobs as she continued to plead for her mother's forgiveness.  
  
The sight pulled a little at Emily's heart, and for a second she forgot about the neighbors' watching eyes as she turned on her own daughter. "For God's sakes Lorelai, are you going to let the girl suffer like that?"  
  
*  
  
Lorelai stood frozen like a burglar caught under a spotlight, and for a second he thought that the elder woman might turn and walk away.  
  
But within the next second, Lorelai was at her daughter's side, tears streaming down her own face as she uttered words of forgiveness.  
  
And standing over the scene as it unfolded, Jess felt like an outsider. A guilty outsider. He had spent the last two months pushing himself between that kind of a bond, and telling himself that it wasn't hurting Rory any more than she could handle.  
  
But now he saw the truth, and the truth was that Rory loved her mother more than anything or anyone... including him. And though that realization hurt him more than he would've imagined possible, Jess couldn't bring himself to be angry with her.  
  
Because he loved her.  
  
And in loving someone like that, all you want is their happiness - whether you're a part of it or not. And if tonight had shown him one thing, it was that Rory was clearly not happy with him.  
  
Everything she'd blurted out tonight had been months of repressed anger - things that she'd bottled up and ignored because... well, because she was Rory and she hated conflict.  
  
But the final moment of realization came when Lorelai had shown up. In a second, Rory had discarded his hand - and whatever it was she'd been about to say - as if it were nothing.  
  
And in watching the way Rory clung to her mother and grandmother, apologies still spilling from her lips, Jess had to admit to himself that it might have been just that. Because what was happening in front of him was something; that was where Rory's heart really belonged.  
  
So when he spotted the familiar truck turning into the driveway, his red- faced uncle behind the wheel, Jess did the hardest thing he'd ever done.  
  
He turned and walked away.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
a/n - awww, poor jess! You guys think I should just let the story end there? Him maturing enough to realize that he shouldn't try to break up Rory's relationship with her mother? Him letting go? mwwahhh!  
  
okay, I'm in a weird mood. Hope you guys enjoyed this segment (as much as you can enjoy jess getting his heart broken). I should have the next one up in a few days. In the meantime, you know what to do... Review! :) 


	19. A Fragile Thing

19 - A Fragile Thing  
  
Lorelai glanced longingly at the coffee maker, wondering if she had enough energy to stay awake long enough for a pot to brew. What she wouldn't give for a good, strong cup of java...  
  
However, the sound of Rory tossing and turning in her bed drew her attention away from the coffee. Glancing at the closed door, Lorelai couldn't help but sigh.  
  
As difficult as tonight had been for her, Lorelai knew that it had been worse for Rory. That much had been obvious by the girl's behavior at the mansion. Lorelai had never seen her daughter look so totally broken as when she'd fallen to the ground while begging forgiveness.  
  
In that moment, every ounce of Lorelai's anger had vanished. All that mattered was Rory's pain. So for once she'd followed her mother's advice and joined the girl on the cold concrete, every argument of the past two months forgiven.  
  
She had no idea how long the three of them had sat on the porch like that, sobbing and holding one another as if the end of the world was upon them. It wasn't until Richard came outside and ordered Emily to get into the house before she caught pneumonia that the three women separated, and the younger pair got into their cars and headed home.  
  
Upon arrival, Lorelai had sent Rory to bed, insisting the two of them could have their talk tomorrow. But now, hearing another frustrated flop from the other side of the bedroom door, Lorelai determined that her daughter was in need of some verbal comfort before her body would allow itself the release of sleep.  
  
With that decided, she pushed the door open and walked in.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Okay, you can have apple or cherry - take your pick." Luke announced to the dining room as he emerged from the back of his diner, a pie in each hand.  
  
Getting no response from the sullen teen, Luke carefully cut a slice of each and slid the plate across the counter to him. "I'll take that as both."  
  
More silence engulfed the room as Luke prepared the same for himself at walked around to claim a seat for himself beside his overly-talkative nephew. Of course, Luke thought as he glanced down at the plate in front of him, he had no real intention of eating the unhealthy heaping on his plate; but still, it would have been pretty silly to insist Jess have dessert with him without taking some pie for himself.  
  
"So, are you going to tell me what happened at the Gilmores before I showed up?" Luke broke the ice; he was never really very good at segways.  
  
With no indication that he'd heard his uncle's inquiry, Jess grabbed his fork and began devouring the plate in front of him. Sighing, Luke decided to try again.  
  
"It's just that you've never willingly got into my truck in your life, yet when I pulled up tonight, I didn't even have time to get out before you were in the passenger seat telling me to take you home." Luke looked again at his nephew who had given up eating his dessert and was now repeatedly stabbing the cherries with his fork. Feeling slightly irritated that he'd just wasted the better part of two pies, Luke tilted his head down to eye level with Jess' slouched frame. "Hey, are you even listening to me?"  
  
That earned him an annoyed eyeroll from the teen, and Luke smiled to himself. At least they were making progress.  
  
Switching gears, he stood up and boldly announced, "In any case, I don't think you'll be seeing one of the Gilmores in this diner anytime soon." With that, he picked up both unfinished plates and moved through the swinging doors, smiling to himself at his own cleverness. Just wait... 3...2...1...  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
The grumbled question came from through the order window where Jess had finally lifted his head up off the countertop.  
  
Walking back to the window, Luke asked innocently, "Why is what?"  
  
Shooting the man a glare that would make Satan shiver, Jess responded, "Fine, don't tell me. I'm going to bed."  
  
Hurrying through the other door, Luke blocked Jess' path to the stairwell. "I accidentally told Lorelai that I already knew about you and Rory. She told me to go to hell and stormed out. Now you tell me whether or not I should expect to see Rory in here." Luke fixed Jess with a glare of his own before narrowing his eyes and adding, "I think I deserve to be in the loop."  
  
That did the trick.  
  
With another roll of the eyes, Jess dropped his shoulders and announced, "Not unless she's coming to see you." Meeting his uncle's eyes, Jess added, "Can I go to bed now?"  
  
Shifting again to stop the boy's attempts to move past him, Luke responded, "As soon as you tell me exactly what happened at the Gilmores before I got there."  
  
Letting out an annoyed breath of air, Jess casually shrugged his shoulders and announced, "Nothing much. Rory and I had another fight; she started to apologize; then Lorelai showed up and she decided that following Lorelai's rules might be in her best interest. End of story."  
  
Now that Jess had shared, Luke kind of wished he was still in the dark. At least he wouldn't have to hear the hurt radiating from the normally stoic teen's voice. Luke cleared his own throat and awkwardly patted Jess' shoulder. "I...uh...I'm sorry."  
  
"Nothing to be sorry about." Jess frowned and fixed his gaze somewhere above Luke's head, his lower lip trembling slightly as he spoke, "I used to have a girlfriend; now I don't. No big deal." With that, Jess pushed his way past Luke and practically ran up the stairs.  
  
And this time, Luke let him go.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"I swear I never meant for things to get this out of hand." Rory was apologizing yet again to her mother, who sat beside her in bed, their limbs wrapped together as they talked.  
  
"Shhh... I think we've already established that you're sorry sweetie. But the thing is that I should be apologizing too. I never meant for you to need to sneak around behind my back. I honestly didn't know you felt that strongly about Jess."  
  
"I didn't!" Rory exploded, only to be met with a disbelieving glance from her mother. Sighing, Rory elaborated, "Or I don't... I don't know. Things were just happening so fast, and I didn't know what to do."  
  
"I understand..." Now it was Lorelai's turn to sigh; she'd always tried so hard to encourage Rory to be open about her feelings. The last thing she'd wanted was to try to rule Rory like her mother had tried to rule her. She knew how lonely that felt, and how that loneliness only led to more rebellion.  
  
"But I swear that Jess and I are finished. I won't see him anymore." Rory interrupted the silence again, firm in her declaration.  
  
Sighing again, Lorelai squeezed her daughter tightly, "Rory, I don't want you to break up with him because of me. I was wrong to put restrictions like that on your relationships. I should trust your judgment; I mean, if you like Jess, then there must be something that I've missed."  
  
"No!" Rory exploded with more force than necessary. Shaking her head adamantly, she continued, "You were right. He is all wrong for me. He's moody and isolated and... and he just isn't cut out to be a boyfriend."  
  
"But if you like him..."  
  
"I don't. Not anymore. Mom, I thought he loved me..." Rory trailed off, tears pooling in her eyes as the words poured out of her, "but you should have seen how he looked at me tonight. he was so angry and so... it was like he hated me! He wouldn't even get in my car!" Now the tears were streaming down her cheeks as she continued her choppy narrative, "And then he went back and told Grandma how bad of a girlfriend I am, and... and... he said we were through, and... and he left!"  
  
"Shhh baby, it's all right." Lorelai continued rubbing her daughter's back while the girl sobbed into her chest.  
  
Rory paused, struggling for breath as she finally finished, "You were right about him all along. I just wish I had listened."  
  
And though Lorelai knew she should be happy to hear that; knowing her daughter had finally seen the light where Jess Mariano was concerned should have her up on her tip-toes dancing Flight of the Butterfly.  
  
But somehow hearing those words after tonight only made her feel worse. 


End file.
